Israeli Defense Minister Yisroel Katz has instructed the IDF to prepare for an extended deployment in southern Lebanon, making clear that Israel has no intention of abandoning its security zones in Lebanon, Syria, or Gaza as it continues operations against Hezbollah.
On Wednesday, Katz toured IDF positions in Lebanese villages along Israel’s northern border, where he met with commanders overseeing both overt and covert military operations. During the visit, he received briefings on ongoing activities, reviewed plans for the next phase of the campaign against Hezbollah, and thanked troops for their efforts and battlefield successes.
Katz directed the military to begin both operational and logistical preparations for a prolonged presence in the area while continuing efforts to eliminate terrorist infrastructure, including underground tunnel networks.
“We see here the Beaufort Ridge after the tunnels there were destroyed. The IDF conducted a maneuver here through the Litani in a heroic operation and, with great skill, defeated Hezbollah and took the Beaufort, which defends Metula and the communities of the north and on IDF soldiers and threatens all Hezbollah areas on the horizon,” Katz stated.
Reaffirming Israel’s policy, Katz stressed that the country will not relinquish control of the security buffer. “As the Prime Minister and I clarified unequivocally, we are not withdrawing from this security zone. I am standing here in the heart of the security zone, from the sea in the west until the Beaufort area and the slopes of Mount Hermon in the east. The IDF is here to defend the northern communities and its forces; we will clear out this entire area, and we will ensure security for the residents of the north. Under no circumstances will we withdraw from the security zones: not in Lebanon, not in Syria, and not in Gaza. The lesson learned from October 7th is that we are protecting the residents by the IDF being here, in these places, and protecting them from invasions, shooting, and everything else. This is our chance; this is our policy; this is our approach.”
Katz said the strategic importance of the Beaufort fortress reflects Israel’s broader security doctrine, emphasizing the military’s control of high ground and its campaign to dismantle Hezbollah’s military capabilities. “The Beaufort fortress illustrates more than anything else the significance of this policy: we are up here, they are down there; the residents are protected, the IDF is inside, and 200,000 residents are outside. We are destroying the underground infrastructure and all the terrorist infrastructure they built with Iranian backing to invade the Galilee, and we are destroying all the homes in the area. This is our policy. We will continue it and will in no way allow jihadist enemies of this kind to threaten our residents or our borders. We are up here, they are down there, the residents are outside, the soldiers are inside, and the homes are destroyed.”
Joining Katz on the visit were Deputy Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Tamir Yadai, Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo, 36th Division commander Brig. Gen. Yiftah Norkin, Defense Minister’s Military Secretary Brig. Gen. Hisham Ibrahim, along with other senior military commanders.
{Matzav.com}
