“Trump tried to link the Lebanon and Iran arenas because Iran was applying heavy pressure,” Katz said.
By Vered Weiss, World Israel News
Defense Minister Israel Katz said Monday that linking developments in Lebanon to the memorandum of understanding addressing the conflict with Iran prevented Israel from carrying out a larger military campaign against Hezbollah, while reiterating that Israeli forces will remain in security zones in southern Lebanon until the group’s presence is eliminated.
Speaking about contacts between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Katz said he witnessed four conversations in which the relationship between the Iranian and Lebanese fronts was discussed.
“Trump tried to link the Lebanon and Iran arenas because Iran was applying heavy pressure,” Katz said.
Katz said he was absent from a fifth conversation but said President Trump continued pressing to connect the two theaters.
He said the approach reflected American interests and led Israel to adopt what he described as “Plan B,” which involved deepening the Yellow Line while allowing residents to return to Beirut’s Dahiyeh district and parts of southern Lebanon.
Addressing the suspension of Israeli military operations, Katz argued that the decision prevented the IDF from expanding its campaign against Hezbollah.
“The pause prevented a massive blow the IDF had planned to continue inflicting on Hezbollah. Linking the arenas saved Hezbollah from a devastating blow, perhaps even its collapse,” he said.
Katz said Israel’s position on its security zone in southern Lebanon remained unchanged.
“In any case, we would not have withdrawn, and we will not do so in the future as long as Hezbollah is there,” he said.
He also said Israel has no intention of remaining in Lebanese territory permanently, but maintained that any future withdrawal would depend on the Lebanese Army removing Hezbollah from areas vacated by Israeli forces.
“We have no territorial ambitions in Lebanon. The Lebanese Army will have to do the job in the areas from which the IDF withdraws. The IDF will have to verify that this has happened and that Hezbollah is no longer present in the areas from which it withdraws. The current mission is to remove Hezbollah from the Litani area.”
Katz said he remained skeptical that any force other than the IDF would ultimately accomplish that objective.
“I have no illusions. In the end, the one that will have to do the job is the IDF.”
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