Defense Minister Israel Katz told military correspondents Monday that Hezbollah retains 1,200 militants between the border fence and the Litani River, maintaining the threat of an invasion. Katz also revealed that the IDF destroyed a previously unknown enormous tunnel requiring hundreds of tons of explosives, and said Israel will not withdraw from security zones in Gaza, Syria, and Lebanon.
Defense Minister Israel Katz held a briefing with military correspondents on Monday evening at 19:05 Jerusalem time, delivering a series of assessments and policy declarations on the northern front. Katz explicitly stated that the threat of a Hezbollah invasion of Israel from Lebanon persists, noting that 1,200 Hezbollah operatives remain active between the border fence and the Litani River.
Katz revealed that the IDF recently destroyed an enormous underground tunnel whose existence was previously unknown to Israeli intelligence. He described it as requiring hundreds of tons of explosives to demolish, calling it unprecedented in scale. This aligns with The Zioneer's earlier reporting on Katz's statements about systematic tunnel destruction near the Lebanese border.
The defense minister also credited President Donald Trump with preventing a massive Israeli blow against Hezbollah across all of Lebanon, arguing that Trump linked the Iran nuclear issue to a Lebanon deal, limiting Israel's operational freedom. Katz reiterated that Israel will not withdraw from the security zones in Gaza, Syria, and Lebanon, and informed the commander of US Central Command of this position.
On Iran, Katz assessed that Tehran has not yet decided whether to return to the nuclear program, and predicted that fighting with Iran will resume either after Trump determines negotiations are exhausted, or following an Iranian attack on Israel, which he characterized as the potential start of a "third Iran war." The briefing was reported by Abu Ali Express, a single source, with no immediate official IDF or cabinet confirmation.
- DevelopingKatz: IDF thwarting Hezbollah tunnels, destroying terror infrastructure near Lebanon border fence
- ConfirmedIDF releases footage of Hezbollah tunnel seven kilometers inside southern Lebanon
- StrongIDF eliminates six Hezbollah terrorists at Ali al-Taher Ridge; Katz warns Iran
- StrongKatz calls Lebanon deal a historic achievement, vows no IDF withdrawal until Hezbollah disarmed
Source and signal
A single-sourced dispatch is never rated Confirmed or Strong. Its Signal strengthens only when a second, independent source corroborates it.
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