Defense Minister Israel Katz said Tuesday that President Donald Trump prevented Israel from launching a full-scale offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon, forcing scaled-back plans and the avoidance of major strikes on Beirut. According to Katz, Trump personally urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to withdraw Israeli forces from parts of southern Lebanon, leading to a targeted campaign instead of a broader military push.
Defense Minister Israel Katz on Tuesday added new depth to his account of Washington-Jerusalem friction on the Lebanon front, stating that President Donald Trump outright blocked an Israeli plan to mount a full-scale offensive aimed at destroying Hezbollah as a military force. Katz said the decision came despite his own assessment that Israel could have defeated the organization, and that U.S. pressure led Jerusalem to scale back operations, avoid major strikes in Beirut, and withdraw forces from parts of southern Lebanon. The comment, which Katz framed as a direct U.S. operational veto, came a day after he disclosed that Trump had linked the Iran nuclear issue to a Lebanon deal, preventing what he called 'a massive blow' to Hezbollah.
The account is consistent with a thread The Zioneer has been tracking since mid-June. In the earliest published version of the thread, dated Mon Jun 29, 16:03 Jerusalem, Katz said the U.S. linking the Lebanon and Iran fronts prevented Hezbollah's collapse. By the seventh iteration of the same briefing, Katz warned that 1,200 Hezbollah operatives remain between the border fence and the Litani River and confirmed the destruction of a previously unknown massive tunnel. The ninth version reported Katz's claim that Trump 'prevented Hezbollah's collapse' by connecting the arenas. The latest thread items, from Mon Jun 29, 16:03 Jerusalem, show Katz repeatedly attributing the policy shift to a fifth call between Netanyahu and Trump — one that Katz did not join — and describing the U.S. intervention as an American strategic interest.
Earlier reporting by The Zioneer, dated Thu Jun 25, 20:01 Jerusalem, quoted Education Minister Yoav Kisch stating that Trump tried to demand an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon and that Netanyahu refused as long as Hezbollah posed a threat. On Fri Jun 19, 20:36 Jerusalem, Trump himself told Israeli media he had asked Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire with Hezbollah, urging Jerusalem to 'calm down and use your head.' On Tue Jun 16, 15:48 Jerusalem, upon arriving at the G7 summit, Trump called Israel's campaign a 'mini-war' and suggested Syria should handle Hezbollah.
What remains unclear is whether Katz's Tuesday remarks reflect official government policy or a personal assessment. The defense minister did not specify when the discussions with Trump occurred or whether the plan's shelving was final. Katz also did not detail whether the scaled-back operations represent a permanent shift or a tactical pause.
10 developments
- DevelopingTrump reportedly sides with Iran on demand that Israel stop attacking Hezbollah
- StrongMinister Kisch reveals: Trump sought Israel withdrawal from Lebanon, Netanyahu refused
- StrongNetanyahu tells Trump southern Lebanon strikes 'light casualties' so far, expects Hezbollah to hold fire
- ConfirmedTrump Slams Israel's Lebanon Campaign as 'Mini-War,' Suggests Syria Should Handle Hezbollah
Source and signal
- Internal intake