Defense Minister Israel Katz held a situation assessment Friday morning at the IDF headquarters together with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, Defense Ministry Director-General Maj. Gen. (res.) Amir Baram, Head of the Operations Directorate Maj. Gen. Itzik Cohen, Military Secretary Brig. Gen. Guy Markizano, and other senior defense officials.
Responding to a report that disarming Hezbollah is no longer on the table, Katz said, "Israel’s policy in Lebanon has been and remains clear: The supreme objective is the disarmament of Hezbollah through military and diplomatic means - independent of the Iran issue. The IDF is completing its ground maneuver up to the antitank line in order to protect and prevent a direct threat to Israeli border communities."
He added that "homes in villages near the border in Lebanon, which serve as Hezbollah outposts in every respect, will be destroyed in accordance with the Rafah and Khan Yunis model in Gaza, in order to remove the threat to Israeli communities."
Echoing his previous statements, Katz said, "The IDF will maintain security control in the Litani area, and the return of approximately 600,000 residents of southern Lebanon who evacuated northward will not be permitted south of the Litani until the security of northern residents is ensured."
Katz further stated that the IDF would continue targeting Hezbollah leaders and operatives throughout Lebanon, in addition to the 1,000 terrorists already eliminated since the start of the current campaign.
"The IDF will act with force against high-trajectory fire from Lebanon toward Israeli cities and communities-and Hezbollah will pay a heavy price. We promised security for the northern communities, and that is exactly what we will deliver," he promised.