Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated on Thursday that Israel will not withdraw its military forces from southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed. The statement clarifies comments made by Katz on Wednesday, where he said Israel was "not withdrawing" from a designated security zone. Those earlier remarks prompted a response from the United States, which maintains that a permanent Israeli military presence would violate existing agreements.
The current situation follows an Israeli military offensive earlier this year that resulted in the seizure of territory in southern Lebanon. The Israeli government stated the move was necessary to protect residents in northern Israel from Hezbollah attacks. Hezbollah, an Iran-backed group, began firing at Israel two days after the start of a conflict between the U.S., Israel, and Iran. The offensive has displaced hundreds of thousands of Lebanese citizens, according to reports.
A U.S. State Department official stated in writing that a permanent Israeli presence is not consistent with the U.S.-backed framework agreed upon by Israel and the Lebanese government. That deal establishes a timeline for Israeli withdrawal that is linked to the verified disarmament of Hezbollah. While the U.S. official noted that the Lebanese military has begun implementing "pilot zones" to take control of the south, Hezbollah has stated it will not discuss its weapons until Israeli forces leave the country.
The scale of the conflict involves the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people, primarily from Hezbollah’s Shi'ite constituency. Under the U.S.-brokered deal, the transition of power is supposed to move from Israeli forces to the Lebanese military through a series of "pilot zones," though the source does not specify the exact number of troops or the square mileage currently held. A resident in Beirut, Hussam Mneimeh, noted that Lebanese citizens will continue to view the presence as an occupation, referencing previous historical instances where Israel occupied and later withdrew from Lebanese territory.
The shift in rhetoric also carries domestic political weight as Israel prepares for its first national election since October 7, 2023, scheduled for October 27, 2026. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party is positioning itself on a platform of security, with Katz recently ordering the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to prepare infrastructure for a long-term stay. The U.S. State Department indicated it will continue to support the implementation of the pilot zones, but a timeline for full withdrawal remains unavailable as both sides hold conflicting prerequisites for the next phase of the agreement.
Katz's instructions to the IDF to prepare for an extended presence were issued during a ceremony for a new Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank. The Defense Minister emphasized that the military would remain until the threat from Hezbollah "in all of Lebanon" is removed. This mirrors recent statements by Prime Minister Netanyahu regarding Gaza, where he rejected a 15-point roadmap proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, citing the need for the disarmament of Hamas before any withdrawal.