&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "‘Israel will not withdraw’: Katz says Israeli troops will remain at Beaufort in southern Lebanon")
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz on Saturday (Jun 22) said that Israel has no intention of withdrawing from the security zone in southern Lebanon as tensions continue to mount in the region between Israeli forces and Hezbollah. The minister’s remarks come despite a ceasefire agreed under the peace deal between the United States and Iran. Katz said that the troops would remain at the Beaufort Castle, which was captured by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) in late May.
“Israel has no intention of withdrawing from the Beaufort, which is an integral part of the security zone in Lebanon and essential for the defense of the Galilee settlements and IDF forces,” Katz said.
“As Prime Minister Netanyahu and I have clarified - Israel will not withdraw from the security zone in Lebanon,” he added.
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Lebanon’s historic Beaufort Castle and its surrounding strategic ridge were captured by the IDF on May 31. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had hailed the move as a “dramatic shift” in the country’s policy as its forces expand operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
“The capture of Beaufort is a dramatic stage and a dramatic shift in the policy we are leading,” Netanyahu said in the video message released by his office at the time. “Now my directive is to deepen and expand our hold on areas that had been under Hezbollah’s control.”
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Recalling the historic site, Netanyahu said that the Beaufort Castle “became a symbol of deep division within our society”. Captured by Israeli forces in during the 1982 First Lebanon War, the fortress remained under Israeli control throughout its 18-year presence in southern Lebanon before the withdrawal in 2000.
Troops in Lebanon to remain ‘as long as necessary’
On Saturday (Jun 21), Netanyahu said that Israeli troops will stay in southern Lebanon as long as needed, despite the ceasefire reached under the US-Iran deal. He also vowed that he would not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons.
Also read | ‘Lebanon will be main topic of discussion’: Tehran says ahead of US-Iran talks in Switzerland
“We will remain in the security zone in southern Lebanon for as long as necessary to protect the cherished residents of the north and all the citizens of Israel... Nothing will alter that commitment,” he said.
He continued, “And with regard to Iran: whatever political developments may unfold, I will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. As long as I serve as prime minister of Israel, that will not happen.”
Netanyahu also reiterated that the war in the Middle East had achieved Israel’s key goal of preventing Iran from possessing a nuclear weapon.
“We prevented Iran from carrying out a plan to annihilate us and today they would have had an atomic bomb to do so,” the Israeli leader said. “We prevented that from happening. We removed the existential danger. Had we not acted... Iran would have had atomic bombs and let me tell you something, they would have used them.”
“That’s what we prevented,” he said.
Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, the US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.
