According to a report by The Times Of Israel on July 9, 2026, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz rejected US President Donald Trump’s statement that Israel is expected to withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon, insisting that the country will maintain its military presence until its security objectives are fully achieved.
Katz said Israel’s decision to enter Lebanon was made independently and would not be influenced by outside opinions or approvals.
“We didn’t ask for anyone’s approval to enter Lebanon, and we don’t need approval to stay in Lebanon,” Katz says in a statement.
He stressed that Israel has a responsibility to protect communities in the Galilee and other citizens from threats posed by Hezbollah, describing the Iran-backed group as a jihadist organization committed to Israel’s destruction.
“It is our right and duty to defend the residents of the Galilee and Israeli citizens from the threats of the jihadist terror group Hezbollah, which aims to destroy the State of Israel,” he says.
Katz also reaffirmed the Israeli government’s position that troops will remain inside the designated security zone in Lebanon for as long as necessary. He said the military presence would continue until Hezbollah is fully disarmed throughout Lebanon and the threat against northern Israel has been eliminated.
“As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I have clarified, we will continue to stay in the security zone in Lebanon and to act from it as needed, until Hezbollah is disarmed in all of Lebanon and the threat to the residents of the north is removed,” adds Katz.
Trump had said a day earlier that he believed Israel would eventually leave Lebanon. His remarks contrasted with repeated statements from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior Israeli officials, who have maintained that the Israel Defense Forces will not withdraw until Hezbollah has been completely disarmed and the security situation along Israel’s northern border has been resolved….See More