Newsletters
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz reiterated Sunday that Israeli forces will not withdraw from southern Lebanon's so-called security zone.
He declared that there is "no restriction" on troops acting to eliminate threats, even as the death toll from fighting in southern Lebanon continued to climb.
"There has never been, and there is currently no restriction on IDF soldiers in Lebanon from acting to eliminate threats... As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I have made clear: Israel will not withdraw from the security zone in Lebanon," Katz said in a statement, referring to an area extending roughly 10 kilometers into Lebanese territory where Israeli forces are deployed.
Katz said Israeli troops would remain in all positions within the security zone, which Israel says exists to protect communities in northern Israel.
"All of the IDF's achievements in the campaign in Lebanon are being preserved, with our forces deployed in the security zone along the Yellow Line in Lebanon and operating from there inward against terrorists and terrorist infrastructures," he said.
He added that "the ceasefire announced yesterday leaves the IDF in all of its positions within the security zone that protects the communities of northern Israel," and said preserving the lives of Israeli soldiers and citizens remained "a top and absolute priority."
Katz's remarks came a day after Israeli strikes killed at least 20 people in Lebanon on Saturday, according to Lebanon's state news agency NNA, just one day after a ceasefire with Iran-backed Hezbollah took effect Friday following months of escalating violence.
Israel said the strikes were carried out in response to projectiles fired by Hezbollah at its troops in southern Lebanon, with an Israeli official describing the targets as "Hezbollah targets."
The Israeli army escalated its attacks in southern and eastern Lebanon on Friday, launching more than 200 airstrikes against what it described as Hezbollah sites despite the ongoing ceasefire.
Most of the strikes hit homes and civilian infrastructure, according to a reporter from Türkiye's state-run Anadolu Agency (AA) on the ground. Lebanon's Health Ministry said at least 105 people were killed and more than 150 others injured in Israeli strikes on Friday and Saturday alone.
The Israeli army on Sunday named Nave Habshoosh, 20, a soldier in the 52nd Battalion of the 401st Brigade, as the fourth soldier killed in a Hezbollah attack on an Israeli tank in southern Lebanon.
Army Radio said his death brought the number of Israeli soldiers killed in southern Lebanon since Thursday to five, with at least 12 soldiers killed in fighting with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon over the course of the week, according to the broadcaster.
Israel's offensive in Lebanon since March 2 has killed nearly 4,000 people, injured more than 12,000 others, and displaced over 1 million residents, according to Lebanese authorities.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
3 min read
