Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz

Israeli minister says army won’t leave occupied territory in Lebanon ‘even if US demands’ it

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Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz holds a security situation assessment meeting with Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, Head of the Israeli Military Intelligence Directorate (AMAN) Shlomi Binder and other senior commanders in Tel Aviv, Israel, on March 07, 2026. [Israeli Ministry of Defense – Anadolu Agency]

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

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/

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Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Strait of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
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Orcas discuss how Trump was re-elected and him being an obviously insane, xenophobic Fascist.

Continue ReadingIsraeli minister says army won’t leave occupied territory in Lebanon ‘even if US demands’ it

Israeli Defense Minister Says IDF Is ‘Awaiting a Green Light’ From Trump to ‘Push Iran Back Into a Dark Age’

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Article by Brad Reed republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz visits a military base and the military unit in the occupied territory of southern Lebanon on April 12, 2026. (Photo by Elad Malka (IMoD)/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

One critic described the Israeli official’s remarks as the country’s “official statement of intent to commit further war crimes in Iran.”

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Thursday said his country was ready to unleash devastating new attacks on Iran should it get approval from US President Donald Trump.

As reported by Amichai Stein, diplomatic correspondent for iNews24, Katz said that Israel is “prepared to resume the war” and is “awaiting a green light from the United States.”

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Katz also vowed that Israel would hit Iran even harder than in previous strikes, vowing “to complete the elimination of the Khamenei family and to push Iran back into a dark age.”

“This time, the strike will be different and far more lethal, delivering devastating blows at the most sensitive points,” Katz warned, “ones that will shake and undermine its very foundations.”

Targeting civilian infrastructure such as power plants is a war crime under international law. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu already has a warrant out for his arrest issued in 2024 by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes committed in Gaza.

Dylan Williams, vice president for government affairs at the Center for International Policy, described Katz’s remarks as “Israel’s official statement of intent to commit further war crimes in Iran.”

Drop Site News reporter Ryan Grim observed that the Israeli defense minister’s threats are reminiscent of the strategy that it has employed in Gaza in its effort to dislodge Hamas over the last three years.

“Israel believes it is always a few good assassinations away from total victory,” Grim commented. “Now pledging more.”

Trump, in partnership with Netanyahu, illegally launched a war with Iran in late February without any congressional authorization. In response to the attack, Iran shut down all shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, choking off roughly 20% of the global oil supply.

In that time, the price of oil has soared, Trump’s approval ratings have crashed to record lows, and a UN expert warned on Wednesday about the possibility of a global food crisis if the strait is not soon reopened to fertilizer shipments.

There has been a fragile ceasefire agreement in effect between the US, Israel, and Iran for the last two weeks, which Trump extended indefinitely on Tuesday.

Article by Brad Reed republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

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Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/

Continue ReadingIsraeli Defense Minister Says IDF Is ‘Awaiting a Green Light’ From Trump to ‘Push Iran Back Into a Dark Age’

UNRWA warns Israel’s Gaza displacement plan would create ‘massive concentration camps’

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Palestinian families begin fleeing again from shelters near the Al-Mawasi area as the Israeli army expands its ground offensive and tanks reach southwestern Khan Yunis, Gaza, marking their first displacement in nearly a year and a half, on July 10, 2025. [Hani Alshaer - Anadolu Agency]

Palestinian families begin fleeing again from shelters near the Al-Mawasi area as the Israeli army expands its ground offensive and tanks reach southwestern Khan Yunis, Gaza, marking their first displacement in nearly a year and a half, on July 10, 2025. [Hani Alshaer – Anadolu Agency]

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) condemned on Friday Israel’s plan to forcibly displace Palestinians in Gaza towards the southern city of Rafah, warning that the move would create “massive concentration camps” and worsen the humanitarian crisis, Anadolu reports.

Juliette Touma, UNRWA’s director of communications, told Al Jazeera English that the agency “categorically refuses any forced displacement of any population.”

“If it happens, it will push further tens of thousands of people who have already been displaced many, many times during this current war but also over the generations, further south and from there into the unknown,” Touma said.

“What needs to happen right now is to focus on reaching a ceasefire and allowing UNRWA to bring in much-needed supplies,” she said.

Touma said UNRWA has “over 6,000 trucks in Egypt and Jordan full of medicines that are soon expiring, food that is also going off, we have hygiene supplies.”

READ: UN says first fuel delivery to Gaza in 130 days ‘isn’t sufficient’ for humanitarian operations

“All we are saying is lift the siege, get a ceasefire, allow UNRWA and other UN organizations to do our work,” she added.

Earlier, the UN raised alarm over continued mass displacement in the Gaza Strip and warned that more than 700,000 people have been uprooted since the end of the ceasefire in March.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said he instructed the army to prepare a plan to relocate all Palestinians to what he called a “humanitarian city” on the ruins of Rafah in southern Gaza.

Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, killing nearly 57,800 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages and a spread of disease.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

READ: ‘They think they are untouchable’: Mahmoud Khalil seeks $20 million in damages

Continue ReadingUNRWA warns Israel’s Gaza displacement plan would create ‘massive concentration camps’