Defense Minister Israel Katz on Sunday ordered the military to prepare for a long-term deployment in the security buffer zone in southern Lebanon. In a statement, Katz said that Israeli families cannot be protected by a piece of paper, only by getting the job done, adding that Israel must do whatever it takes to secure its citizens from Hezbollah — whether or not President Trump agrees.
Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed the IDF on Sunday to prepare for an extended military presence in the security buffer zone in southern Lebanon, marking a hardening of Israel's public posture ahead of the next round of negotiations with Lebanon and the United States. The statement, released Sunday afternoon, declared that 'a piece of paper won't protect Israeli families, only getting the job done will,' a direct dismissal of diplomatic arrangements as a substitute for military deterrence. Katz also referred explicitly to President Trump, saying Israel must act to keep its citizens safe whether or not the U.S. president approves.
The directive follows a series of similar announcements by both Katz and Prime Minister Netanyahu over recent weeks. As The Zioneer reported on June 27, Katz and Netanyahu had already ordered preparations for an extended stay. On June 20, Netanyahu publicly stated the IDF would remain in southern Lebanon 'as long as necessary.' The current instruction goes a step further by directly conditioning the duration on Katz's stated standard — 'whatever it takes' — rather than on diplomatic benchmarks.
The development comes as U.S.-mediated negotiations with Lebanon remain underway. According to earlier Zioneer reporting, President Trump has urged Prime Minister Netanyahu to adopt 'a softer touch' toward Hezbollah and accept a diplomatic framework that would phase out the Israeli presence. Sunday's language by Katz, a close Netanyahu ally, suggests the defense establishment is bracing for a prolonged stalemate between Israel's security objectives and Washington's diplomatic timeline.
3 developments
- StrongNetanyahu, defense chiefs reaffirm IDF will maintain security zone in southern Lebanon
- StrongSenior official: IDF will stay in Lebanon security zone to protect north, destroy terror infrastructure
- DevelopingKatz: IDF has full backing, freedom of action against all threats in Lebanon, Gaza
- StrongKatz: IDF will stay in Lebanon, Syria, Gaza security zones indefinitely, rejects withdrawal pressure
Source and signal
- Internal intake