Starmer can lie to himself about his ‘values’ but he’s fooling no one






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Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed Wednesday army forces will not leave territory occupied in southern Lebanon “even if the United States demands withdrawal.”
“Israel will not leave its security zone in Lebanon, even if the United States demands withdrawal,” Katz said during an event in Tel Aviv, as cited by Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.
There was no immediate response from Washington.
The comments come as senior Israeli officials continue to insist on maintaining control over occupied areas in southern Lebanon despite a recent US-Iran understanding, which includes commitments related to respecting Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Katz and Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir pledged to maintain control of what Israel describes as a “security zone” in southern Lebanon.
Israel occupies areas in southern Lebanon, some held for decades and others seized during the 2023-2024 conflict. During its current military campaign, Israeli forces have advanced more than 10 kilometers into Lebanese territory.
Since March 2, Israel’s attacks in Lebanon have killed 4,192 people, wounded 12,171 others and displaced more than one million residents, according to Lebanese official figures.
Katz also vowed that Israel will not allow the return of around 200,000 Lebanese to their areas in southern Lebanon.
READ: Iran says Israeli strikes on Lebanon delayed next round of US talks
He claimed that allowing civilians to return could expose Israeli troops to attacks.
“What happened in the past in security zones that included civilian populations was the planting of explosive devices and attacks against soldiers,” he said.
“The soldiers are inside, the population is outside, the infrastructure is destroyed and the houses are demolished. We will not withdraw,” he said.
Katz further said Israel would maintain its occupation of areas in both Syria and Lebanon.
“We will not leave the security zone in Syria and Lebanon; this is the security doctrine,” he said, claiming that Israeli forces must “be present in enemy territory to protect Israeli communities.”
His remarks come as Lebanese and Israeli delegations are holding a fifth round of talks in Washington from Tuesday through Thursday.
According to Israeli media reports, the discussions include possible areas from which Israeli troops could withdraw and be replaced by Lebanese army forces.
In addition to occupying territory in southern Lebanon, Israel continues to occupy Palestinian territories and areas inside Syria, while rejecting international calls for withdrawal and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in line with relevant UN resolutions.
READ: Israeli soldiers’ parents demand end to Lebanon fighting and return of troops
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Israel has destroyed a cemetery in the Gaza Strip containing the remains of 22 Canadian soldiers killed in the first UN peacekeeping initiative in 1956, according to media reports Wednesday.
“It’s like there’s no headstones anymore,” Lia Bons, whose brother Adriann is buried in the cemetery, told CBC News. “It just looks like dirt, gravel, sand.”
An officer with the Israel military admitted that soldiers in the Brigade Combat Team dug down to a depth of 20 – 30 meters (66 to 98 feet) under the cemetery to destroy a Hamas tunnel in February and no measures were taken to safeguard the remains of the soldiers because the operation was conducted under combat conditions.
The Gaza War Cemetery in the Tuffah district of Gaza City has been repeatedly damaged by Israel. The Canadians buried there died during the first UN peacekeeping operation following the Israeli invasion of Egypt in 1956, the CBC reported. They are the last of the Canadian soldiers to be interred overseas.
READ: From ‘never again’ to the ‘gates of hell’ in Gaza and Lebanon
The Israeli military has destroyed headstones, used earthmoving equipment in the cemetery, and located tanks around the cemetery.
The families of the victims want the Canadian government to do more to safeguard the remains, and some want the government to bring home the remains.
Marguerite Picard wants her brother Paul to be returned and buried beside his mother and father.
“I’m quite certain that my parents would want my brother to be repatriated,” she said. “I would put him next to mom and dad, and have his name written on the headstone, so that people know he’s there.”
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The direct cost of damage to buildings in southern Lebanon due to the recent Israeli offensive on the country exceeded $1.38 billion, with rubble estimated at around 3.1 million cubic meters, a UN agency and a Lebanese research center said Monday.
The assessment report was released by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Lebanon’s government-linked National Council for Scientific Research
It found that 11,095 buildings were completely destroyed, affecting 17,891 housing units, while 2,242 buildings were partially damaged, equivalent to 5,219 housing units.
The report also revealed that 9,311 buildings sustained minor damage, equivalent to 18,282 housing units.
The assessment covers areas south of the Litani River, including the districts of Bint Jbeil, Marjayoun, Nabatieh, Tyre, and Sidon.
READ: Israeli Cabinet minister rejects ceasefire, says Lebanon ‘should be Israel’s playground’
The evaluation was based on a geospatial artificial intelligence methodology, supported by desk-based visual verification, without field inspections, the report explained.
The comparison was conducted between high-resolution satellite images taken on April 29, 2026, and others dated Oct. 23, 2025, allowing the detection of visible conflict-related damage, including roof collapses, structural deformation, and rubble accumulation at the building level, it added.
The report noted that the assessment does not include basements or underground structures, nor damage to critical infrastructure such as roads, bridges, electricity, water, and telecommunications networks.
Since March 2, Israel has been carrying out an expanded offensive on Lebanon, involving shelling and demolition of homes, particularly in the south of the country, killing 4,106 people, injuring 12,153 others, and displacing over a million people, according to Lebanese officials.
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Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called Monday for rejecting any ceasefire agreement in Lebanon, saying the Arab country “should be Israel’s playground,” as opposition leader Avigdor Lieberman called a US-Iran agreement “the biggest political disaster” since Israel’s creation.
“Israel cannot agree to a ceasefire in Lebanon,” Ben-Gvir told Israel’s public broadcaster KAN in an interview.
He urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to convey Israel’s rejection of any ceasefire in Lebanon to US President Donald Trump.
“Trump is a true friend, and we must treat him politely and embrace him, but we need to tell him that we cannot agree to a ceasefire in Lebanon,” Ben-Gvir said.
“We are the ones making decisions, and there are good results for our soldiers,” he added.
His opposition comes amid growing disputes within Israeli political and security circles over a memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran and their possible implications for ending the war on the Lebanese front.
READ: Israeli army won’t withdraw from occupied territory in southern Lebanon, defense minister says
“The agreement between Iran and the US is the biggest political disaster since the establishment of the state,” Lieberman, leader of Yisrael Beiteinu party, said on US social media company X.
“We must act in accordance with Israeli interests and not in accordance with fuel prices on world stock exchanges,” he added, in reference to what experts view as one of the motives behind Trump’s push to end the Iran war.
Israel and Lebanon are set to hold a fifth round of direct negotiations in Washington on Tuesday. The upcoming talks follow four previous rounds between the two sides that began in April as part of a track aimed at ending the Israeli war in Lebanon.
The US-mediated negotiations come as criticism grows inside Israel over Washington’s handling of talks with Iran and Hezbollah.
The Israeli news site i24NEWS, citing Israeli officials, said Tel Aviv fears that an agreement between the US and Iran could strengthen Tehran and its allies in the region.
The officials claimed the Trump administration and its negotiating team “misunderstands the ideology driving Tehran and Hezbollah.”
“Trump doesn’t speak Shia,” they said, in reference to what they claim is a failure to understand the nature of Iran’s system and Hezbollah.
On Saturday, i24NEWS quoted unnamed senior Israeli officials as saying: “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed ministers to avoid personal attacks on Trump.”
Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed more than 4,100 people and injured over 12,000 others since March 2, according to official Lebanese figures.
Israel continues to occupy areas in southern Lebanon, some held for decades and others seized during the 2023–2024 war.
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