Defense Minister Israel Katz on Saturday called the new framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon a historic breakthrough that may reshape security on the northern border. He said the IDF will not fully withdraw and will maintain a security zone including the Beaufort Castle ridge until Hezbollah is disarmed nationwide, and warned Iran against attacking Israel over the deal.
Defense Minister Israel Katz on Saturday evening publicly detailed the contours of the new trilateral U.S.-Israel-Lebanon framework deal signed the previous day, calling it a historic diplomatic and security achievement. In a statement released by his office, Katz said the agreement "may, for the first time in decades, shape a new and safer reality along the northern border and in Lebanon."
Katz made clear that Israel will not fully withdraw from southern Lebanon as previously pledged. The IDF will maintain a security zone including the Beaufort Castle ridge, and he instructed the military to prepare for a prolonged stay, protect soldiers, and remove threats to northern communities. "The important principle established in the agreement is that there will be no withdrawal whatsoever as long as the Hezbollah terror organization has not been disarmed throughout Lebanon," he said.
Katz also framed the deal as a strategic blow to Iran, saying Tehran attempted to force Israel out of Lebanon through threats and pressure on the United States and failed. He issued a direct warning: "If Iran attempts to attack Israel to prevent the implementation of the agreement, we will act against it with great force."
The statement builds on a series of earlier declarations by Katz over the past two weeks — as The Zioneer reported on Saturday at 18:55 Jerusalem — in which he repeatedly stressed that the IDF's presence in the Beaufort sector is non-negotiable. The agreement and Katz's remarks signal that a permanent ceasefire along the northern border remains contingent on Hezbollah's disarmament, a demand the organization has so far rejected.
5 developments
- DevelopingDefense Minister: Israel has no intention of withdrawing from Beaufort security zone in Lebanon
- StrongKatz: IDF will stay in Lebanon, Syria, Gaza security zones indefinitely, rejects withdrawal pressure
- StrongKatz: IDF to remain up to Beaufort heights, any ceasefire violation met with force
- StrongKatz warns Iran: Any attack on Israel over Lebanon will draw 'full-force' response
Source and signal
- Internal intake