Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz stated that Israel will not withdraw from southern Lebanon, despite a reported Iran-US deal that includes a permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, according to a mediator's statement. Katz, echoing National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, asserted that the IDF will remain in security zones in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza indefinitely to protect borders against "jihadist element," viewing the seizure of these territories as a significant achievement. This stance comes amid reported profound concern among Israeli officials regarding the deal's framework, which reportedly failed to address Israel's broader concerns about Iran's nuclear program, missile stockpile, and support for proxies, and was described as a "catastrophe" by a former defence minister. Meanwhile, the Israeli military continued targeting Beirut following Hezbollah projectiles towards northern Israel, with an IDF official indicating a reciprocal ceasefire if Hezbollah respects it.

Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz stated that Israel will not withdraw from southern Lebanon, despite a reported Iran-US deal that includes a permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, according to a mediator's statement. Katz, echoing National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, asserted that the IDF will remain in security zones in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza indefinitely to protect borders against "jihadist element," viewing the seizure of these territories as a significant achievement. This stance comes amid reported profound concern among Israeli officials regarding the deal's framework, which reportedly failed to address Israel's broader concerns about Iran's nuclear program, missile stockpile, and support for proxies, and was described as a "catastrophe" by a former defence minister. Meanwhile, the Israeli military continued targeting Beirut following Hezbollah projectiles towards northern Israel, with an IDF official indicating a reciprocal ceasefire if Hezbollah respects it.

Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz stated that Israel will not withdraw from southern Lebanon, despite a reported Iran-US deal that includes a permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, according to a mediator's statement. Katz, echoing National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, asserted that the IDF will remain in security zones in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza indefinitely to protect borders against "jihadist element," viewing the seizure of these territories as a significant achievement. This stance comes amid reported profound concern among Israeli officials regarding the deal's framework, which reportedly failed to address Israel's broader concerns about Iran's nuclear program, missile stockpile, and support for proxies, and was described as a "catastrophe" by a former defence minister. Meanwhile, the Israeli military continued targeting Beirut following Hezbollah projectiles towards northern Israel, with an IDF official indicating a reciprocal ceasefire if Hezbollah respects it.

Israel will not withdraw from southern Lebanon, though a permanent termination of military operations in the country is part of the agreed-upon Iran-US deal, according to Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz.

Katz, in response to the deal, said in a statement this morning that Israel opposes the IDF's withdrawal from the security zones in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza, also in light of the existing and expected political pressures. According to him, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and he are leading a clear policy, according to which the IDF will remain in these areas "indefinitely" to protect the border and Israeli communities against the “jihadist element.”

Earlier, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also clarified that Israel is not bound by the agreement, and called for not withdrawing from territories that the IDF has occupied and cleared of terrorist infrastructure.

Katz added that the seizure of the territory and the establishment of the security zones  were "one of the IDF's greatest achievements in the War of Rebirth," which were made  under decisions of the political echelon. "Therefore, we oppose the IDF's withdrawal from Lebanon - despite all the existing and future pressures," he emphasised.

As per the statement from Pakistan, a mediator, the deal will include “immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.” Though Israel is yet to respond publicly to the deal, the framework of the pact has reportedly caused  profound concern among Israeli officials.

It is in this context that Tel Aviv-based The Jerusalem Post reported that Israel will not withdraw from southern Lebanon. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) continues to target Beirut on Sunday, too, after it claimed Hezbollah launched three projectiles towards communities in northern Israel.

“If Hezbollah respects the ceasefire, there will be 'zero attacks anywhere in Lebanon," The Jerusalem Post quoted an IDF official.

The negotiations did not include Israel, despite the country supporting the US in the initial attacks. The current framework of the deal failed to address the concerns raised by Israel, including eliminating Iran’s nuclear programme, depleting its ballistic missile  stockpile and ending its support for terror proxies and creating the conditions for the fall of the regime.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the objective was “to remove the existential threats” to Israel. “A catastrophe from Israel’s perspective,” Avigdor Liberman, a former Israeli defence minister and a right-wing politician who is a bitter critic of Netanyahu, described the deal in his post on X.

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