After security discussions, Netanyahu, Katz and Zamir say IDF to remain in Lebanon

The Israel Defence Forces will stay in the security zone in Southern Lebanon, neutralise Hezbollah threats there and demolish terrorist infrastructure, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated on Monday night.

Netanyahu issued the joint statement with Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir following a security discussion that also included the head of the military’s Northern Command, Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo.

“The IDF will continue to act with determination in order to neutralize threats against our soldiers and our citizens, demolish terrorist infrastructure and maintain the security zone in Southern Lebanon,” according to the statement.

“The prime minister, the minister of defense and the chief of the general staff made it clear that the security of Israeli citizens and IDF forces will remain their guiding principle without compromise,” it added.

In a separate video statement on Monday night, Katz said the IDF has “full backing” and “complete freedom of action to operate decisively against any threat—in Southern Lebanon, in the Gaza Strip and anywhere else where it is necessary to defend the State of Israel.”

“The security of Israeli citizens and the security of our forces stand above every other consideration,” the defence minister declared in Hebrew. “Our soldiers and commanders are acting with courage, removing threats and defending, day and night, the residents of the north, the south and all Israeli citizens,” he added. “The IDF will remain in the security zone in Lebanon in order to protect the northern communities, thwart threats and destroy terrorist infrastructure in the area, both below and above ground.”

Netanyahu, Katz and other senior Israeli officials, including Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, have repeatedly stressed in recent days that IDF ground forces will continue to operate in Lebanon until the threat posed by Iranian-backed Hezbollah is neutralised.

The IDF will remain in Southern Lebanon “as long as we need to protect our people” from the Iranian proxy army, Netanyahu stressed on Sunday at the JNS International Policy Summit in Jerusalem. “The reason is perfectly understood; no country would be asked to do otherwise.”

The statements came amid U.S. President Donald Trump expressing frustration with Jerusalem over airstrikes in Lebanon that he said could have jeopardised his peace deal with the Iranian regime.

Asked by CBS News on Monday about Netanyahu’s insistence on maintaining an IDF presence across Israel’s northern border, Trump replied, “I’m not going to tell you what I’m going to do, but it gets solved.”

“I’m a problem solver. I get problems solved real fast, including with Bibi,” the president said, speaking with reporters at the White House.

Iran has stressed that its implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding with Washington is contingent on the Jewish state ending military operations against Hezbollah and Washington lifting sanctions, including on oil exports.

Trump has warned Tehran to rein in its proxies in Lebanon or face attack. “Iran must immediately stop their highly paid proxies in Lebanon from causing trouble,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Sunday. “If they don’t, we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!”