Defense Minister Israel Katz said Saturday that the trilateral framework signed between the US, Israel, and Lebanon is a historic achievement, but stressed Israel has not withdrawn from Lebanon and will maintain its security zone until Hezbollah is disarmed nationwide, according to his office.
Defense Minister Israel Katz on Saturday evening issued a statement on the trilateral framework agreement signed in Washington on Friday, combining praise for the diplomatic breakthrough with a firm security line. The statement, released via his office at around 19:00 Jerusalem, clarified that Israel will not withdraw from Lebanon and will maintain its security zone until Hezbollah is disarmed nationwide — a position Katz had already staked out in earlier statements throughout the day.
This is the latest in a series of remarks from Katz on Saturday. At 18:48 Jerusalem, three versions of Katz's statements were published simultaneously: the first hailed the deal as a historic achievement and a strategic blow to Iran, specifying that the IDF retains the security zone including the Beaufort ridge. The second stressed that there would be no withdrawal until Hezbollah is disarmed nationwide, and the third warned Iran against attacking Israel over the agreement. The current statement reframes those points without the explicit warning to Iran, focusing instead on the security zone's permanence until full disarmament.
As The Zioneer reported on Friday, Israel and Lebanon signed a trilateral framework deal with the US in Washington after five rounds of talks, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling it "the beginning of the beginning." Katz's position on indefinite retention of security zones across Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza was first reported by The Zioneer on June 15. On Friday evening, an unverified channel report claimed the US and Lebanon signed an agreement recognizing Israel's right to a security zone in southern Lebanon — a claim not corroborated by any official source.
What remains open: Katz's statement did not specify whether the security zone arrangement is part of the signed trilateral text or an Israeli parallel understanding with the US. No official Lebanese comment on the security zone has been reported.
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