Defense Minister Israel Katz said Monday the IDF will maintain an open-ended presence in security zones in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza, rejecting any withdrawal despite pressure. Katz also warned Iran that attacking Israel over events in Lebanon would be met with overwhelming force.
Defense Minister Israel Katz on Monday morning laid out Israel's formal position on the postwar security arrangement in the north, south, and east. In a statement released at 09:48 Jerusalem, Katz declared that Israel would maintain an open-ended military presence in security zones in Lebanon, Gaza, and Syria, with the stated goal of preventing a repeat of the October 7 attack.
The defense minister said the zones would be cleared of all local residents and that all terrorist infrastructure, including homes in contact villages used as terror outposts, would be destroyed. "The territory will be free of local residents and all terror infrastructure, underground and above ground — including the homes in the contact villages that served as terror outposts — will be destroyed," Katz said.
As The Zioneer reported at 09:47, Katz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have communicated this position to US President Donald Trump and other American officials. Katz added that he reiterated the stance to US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Sunday. The defense minister framed the indefinite presence as a core lesson of October 7, saying: "Territorial control and the security zones are one of the IDF's greatest achievements in the war of revival."
Katz further warned Iran that any attack on Israel stemming from events in Lebanon would be met with a devastating response. "If Iran attacks Israel due to the events in Lebanon — we will attack it with full force and demonstrate the power gap to it very clearly," he said.
2 developments
- StrongKatz: IDF will stay in Lebanon, Syria, Gaza security zones indefinitely, rejects withdrawal pressure
- StrongIsrael will not leave Lebanon but won't strike if ceasefire holds, sources say
- StrongKatz: Israel will not relinquish gains in Iran negotiations
- StrongSenior Israeli officials: US understands Israel will not compromise on Lebanon withdrawal
Source and signal
- Internal intake