The Israeli military will continue its operations in Lebanon for the time being and will not withdraw from the country, Defense Minister Israel Katz declared, notwithstanding the announcement of a new ceasefire agreement.
Israel and Lebanon reached a new truce following talks brokered by the United States. The agreement stipulates that Hezbollah, which did not take part in the negotiations, must halt its attacks against Israel and pull its fighters back from the area south of the Litani River in southern Lebanon.
What Katz Said
In a statement, Katz said Israeli armed forces would remain in parts of southern Lebanon currently under Israeli control, within what the Israeli government describes as a “security zone,” with the stated goal of protecting northern Israeli communities from Hezbollah attacks.
He also added that hundreds of thousands of residents of southern Lebanon who have been displaced from their homes as a result of Israeli military operations since the fighting began in March would not be permitted to return either.
The Israeli defense minister further stressed that Israel would continue to “neutralize terrorist infrastructure” in the area while maintaining, as he put it, “freedom of action” with US backing to carry out strikes on Beirut should attacks be launched against Israeli communities or Israeli territory.
Background and Tehran’s Position
Israel invaded Lebanon in March as part of its campaign against Hezbollah, after the Iran-backed organization had launched cross-border attacks in a show of solidarity with Tehran.
The conflict in Lebanon, which has killed thousands of people and forced more than one million Lebanese from their homes, has become a central sticking point in negotiations aimed at ending the broader war with Iran. Tehran has refused to agree to any peace deal with Washington unless the ceasefire also covers the Lebanese front.
Under the terms of the new agreement announced on Wednesday, the Lebanese army is required to assume exclusive control of the relevant areas.
Hezbollah has not yet issued an official response to the ceasefire. Prior to its announcement, the organization stated that it had carried out two drone and rocket attacks against Israeli forces inside Lebanon, which it said took place shortly after midnight local time on Wednesday.
Pushback from Israel’s Far Right
On Thursday, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called the ceasefire agreement a “serious mistake” and urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to put it to a cabinet vote.
Ben-Gvir argued that Hezbollah would not withdraw its fighters from the area south of the Litani and that the Lebanese armed forces lack the capacity to enforce the agreement’s implementation.
“The Lebanese state is a partner of Hezbollah,” he said. “In practice, Hezbollah will continue to grow stronger, and instead of eliminating it, Israel is essentially accepting its very existence.”
A previous ceasefire in April, which was subsequently extended, failed to bring the violence to an end, as both Israel and Hezbollah continued to carry out attacks.
On Monday, President Donald Trump stated that Israel would not proceed with attacks on Beirut, after Netanyahu had said he had ordered strikes on the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, a Hezbollah stronghold.
That development drew criticism from Netanyahu’s political opponents and some of his own allies, who argued that the prime minister had yielded to external pressure and undermined Israeli sovereignty.
“There are moments when you have to know how to say ‘no,’ even to the President of the United States. If we fail to do so, next time we will face a Hezbollah that is far stronger and far more dangerous,” Ben-Gvir said on Thursday.
