Defense Minister Israel Katz said Thursday morning that Israel did not ask permission from any external party to enter Lebanon and does not require permission to maintain its military presence there. Katz detailed the establishment of a security zone in southern Lebanon, cleared of residents and terror infrastructure, and vowed to remain until Hezbollah is disarmed. He cited Hezbollah's attacks on October 7 and during Operation Roaring Lion in Iran as justifications for the operation.
Defense Minister Israel Katz reinforced his position Thursday morning, detailing the establishment of a security zone in southern Lebanon and vowing to remain until Hezbollah is disarmed, as The Zioneer reported at 09:29 Jerusalem. The statement expands on Katz's earlier remarks to U.S. President Donald Trump at 09:04, in which he asserted Israel did not seek permission to enter Lebanon and would not seek permission to stay.
The thread began at 08:58 with three rapid updates: Katz initially stated Israel did not ask permission from any party, then directly rejected President Trump's assertion that Israel would withdraw, and finally highlighted the security zone and the conditional vow to stay. The 09:04 bulletin consolidated these points. The latest remarks add operational details: the zone extends from the Mediterranean to the approaches of Mount Hermon, is cleared of residents and terror infrastructure, and Katz described Hezbollah as a 'jihadist terrorist organization' seeking Israel's destruction, citing the October 7 attacks and the operation in Iran.
The Zioneer has reported extensively on Israel's broader security posture: on June 18, Prime Minister Netanyahu said the IDF would stay in southern Lebanon as long as needed, and on July 1, Katz stated the IDF would remain in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza security zones 'until further notice.' Hezbollah has issued repeated warnings: on June 15, a commander said the group would respond to any violation, and on June 21, a renewed warning was issued. The security zone announcement comes amid ongoing tensions and a fragile ceasefire.
It remains unclear how Hezbollah will respond to Katz's latest declaration, and whether the U.S. or other international actors will issue a formal reaction. The security zone's precise boundaries and the timeline for Hezbollah's disarmament also remain unspecified.
6 developments
- DevelopingDefense Minister Katz: No US demand to withdraw from Lebanon
- DevelopingDefense Minister Katz: 'We will not leave a situation where our soldiers are harmed unilaterally'
- StrongKatz: Trump blocked a full-scale Israeli offensive to destroy Hezbollah
- ConfirmedKatz: IDF will not withdraw 'a millimeter' from Lebanon until Hezbollah disarmed
Source and signal
- Internal intake