‘We are not withdrawing’: Katz orders IDF to prepare for long-term stay in Lebanon

Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered the IDF to prepare for a long-term presence inside southern Lebanon, declaring that Israel will not abandon the security zone established to protect northern communities from Hezbollah.

Visiting troops near the Beaufort Ridge, Katz said the IDF would continue destroying Hezbollah tunnels, weapons infrastructure and positions built with Iranian backing for a potential invasion of the Galilee.

“Under no circumstances will we withdraw from the security zones — not in Lebanon, not in Syria and not in Gaza,” Katz declared, calling the policy a direct lesson of October 7: Israeli forces must remain forward-deployed to prevent another cross-border invasion.