Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz declared Monday that a US decision to connect Lebanon to the Iran ceasefire memorandum of understanding effectively shielded Hezbollah from being wiped out by Israeli forces.
Speaking at a briefing for military and diplomatic reporters centered on Iran, Katz addressed the halt in Israeli Defense Forces operations, arguing that “the pause prevented a massive blow the IDF had planned to continue inflicting on Hezbollah. Linking the arenas saved Hezbollah from a devastating blow, perhaps even its collapse.”
Katz made clear that Israel has no intention of pulling back from its security zone in Lebanon, stating: “In any case, we would not have withdrawn, and we will not do so in the future as long as Hezbollah is there.”
While insisting Israel holds no desire for Lebanese territory, Katz said any future Israeli withdrawal would hinge on the Lebanese Army clearing Hezbollah out of areas that Israeli troops vacate. “We have no territorial ambitions in Lebanon. The Lebanese Army will have to do the job in the areas from which the IDF withdraws. The IDF will have to verify that this has happened and that Hezbollah is no longer present in the areas from which it withdraws. The current mission is to remove Hezbollah from the Litani area,” he said.
Katz added bluntly: “I have no illusions. In the end, the one that will have to do the job is the IDF.”
He also told reporters that Israel had communicated to American officials that it would not pull out of security zones in Gaza, Lebanon, or Syria, framing this as a cornerstone of Israeli strategy. “This is Israel’s new security doctrine,” Katz said. “The condition for leaving these areas is the disarmament of the terrorist organizations.”
Katz noted, as previously reported by N12, that Israel had offered to hand over responsibility for the Ali Taher Ridge to the Lebanese Army, but that offer was turned down.
He closed his remarks on Lebanon with a firm warning: “We will respond to every Hezbollah violation. We will not tolerate violations. The equation still stands: rocket fire toward northern Israel and the frontline communities will be answered with strikes in Dahiyeh.”
Turning to Iran, Katz cautioned that hostilities could restart at any time and said Israel’s military is actively preparing for another confrontation. He revealed that the IDF has been ordered to prepare for what he called a “Blue and White operation in Iran.”
“If we have definitive intelligence about Iranian decisions, we will act on it,” Katz said. “If Iran attacks us with missiles, we will respond with force, and this has been made clear to the Americans.”
He outlined two scenarios under which he believes war with Iran could resume: “if President Trump decides and we join, or if they fire at us, it will be the Third Iran War. Israel’s position is clear—there is no scenario in which Israel will allow missile fire on its territory.”
