Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a rare live interview on Channel 14 that the Oct. 7 attack taught Israel the IDF must stay over the border and never pull back from the security buffer zone in southern Lebanon.
Defense Minister Israel Katz used a rare live TV interview on Channel 14 to restate Israel's core security doctrine on the northern border. During the broadcast with anchor Yaakov Bardugo, Katz said the central lesson of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack is that the IDF must remain stationed beyond Israel's borders and never retreat from the security buffer zone in southern Lebanon. The interview comes amid sustained international diplomatic pressure on Israel to reach an arrangement that would include an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory. Katz's remarks align with a series of recent statements by both him and Prime Minister Netanyahu — as The Zioneer has reported — asserting that Israel will maintain an open-ended military presence in security zones across Lebanon, southern Syria, and Gaza. The defense minister did not address the current status of negotiations or provide a timeline. No ceasefire or US-mediated talks were mentioned in the brief exchange.
- StrongKatz: IDF will stay in Lebanon, Syria, Gaza security zones indefinitely, rejects withdrawal pressure
- StrongKatz warns Iran: Any attack on Israel over Lebanon will draw 'full-force' response
- DevelopingDefense Minister Katz: 'We will not leave a situation where our soldiers are harmed unilaterally'
- StrongIDF Chief of Staff: 'Lesson of October 7 — IDF must grow, strengthen'
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