Defense Minister Israel Katz on Monday presented his assessment of the situation on the northern front, along with an overview of Israel's other fronts, stating that Israel is working to shape a new security reality in Lebanon.
Speaking about the northern campaign, Katz said that beyond the two pilot areas already established, there will be no further Israeli withdrawals.
"People should not hold their breath wondering where the next place Israel will withdraw from in Lebanon will be-because it will not happen until Hezbollah is disarmed. We have no territorial ambitions in Lebanon, but until Hezbollah lays down its weapons, we will not withdraw even one millimeter."
Katz also referred to his meeting last Friday at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv with the commander of US Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper.
"I agreed with him that the IDF will not withdraw from the three security zones-in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza."
According to Katz, Hezbollah entered the fighting in the north under heavy Iranian pressure and in an effort to establish a new strategic equation with Israel.
"When President Trump linked Iran and Lebanon, we stopped bringing down buildings in Beirut. Linking the two arenas is an American interest, and those are the constraints of our partnership with the United States. Had Lebanon not been linked to Iran, Hezbollah would have collapsed. We therefore moved to Plan B-expanding the Yellow Line security zone in southern Lebanon."
Katz revealed that before the signing of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Trump held four telephone conversations. However, he said, the decisive shift came during a fifth call in which he did not participate.
"I wasn't present for the fifth conversation, and the President applied pressure that ultimately resulted in linking the two arenas. From that moment on, civilians returned to southern Lebanon, and Hezbollah also reinforced its presence in the south."
He added that after an overnight discussion failed to produce a decision on launching a ground maneuver, further consultations were held the following day between the Prime Minister, the Defense Minister, and the IDF Chief of Staff, resulting in approval for the Beaufort operation. According to Katz, the United States was informed in advance.
"There were concerns about friction with the United States, but they understood and accepted it."
Katz stressed that operations in southern Lebanon would continue.
"We still have tunnels to destroy and demolish-for example, in the Beaufort Ridge, where we will use 500 tons of explosives, just as we destroyed the tunnels in Majdal Zoun overnight. The IDF captured the Ali a-Taher Ridge because of the tunnel threat, but there is no decision to capture Nabatieh. That would require mobilizing additional full divisions. Our objective is to demilitarize the entire Litani area of Hezbollah operatives and weapons."
Addressing the current situation along the northern border, Katz said that nearly all the villages adjacent to the frontier have been destroyed. According to him, almost every village in the central and western sectors has been destroyed, while approximately 73 percent of the homes in the eastern sector have been demolished.
"The way to eliminate threats is to seize territory and destroy infrastructure," he said.
He added that "200,000 residents of the Yellow Line have not returned to their homes and will not be returning. Warning fire will be used."
According to Katz, in those areas, "the population is terror," adding that thanks to the evacuation of civilians and the destruction of infrastructure, "the IDF is now operating in an area with no civilian population."
Katz expressed hope that, in the long term, forces within Lebanon might exploit Hezbollah's weakness and ultimately dismantle the organization. However, he emphasized that the IDF would continue holding territory until Hezbollah is fully disarmed.
While the demand to remove Hezbollah from the Litani area applies geographically to that region, he said, the demand for Hezbollah's disarmament applies to the entire organization throughout Lebanon.
Turning to Iran, Katz said: "There are two scenarios in which fighting will resume - a decision by President Donald Trump or Iranian missile fire. That could happen in two days."
"The IDF is preparing to operate independently in Iran under Operation Blue and White. The IDF is simply waiting for it. We have targets ready to strike in Iran, and the IDF is fully prepared and on alert, but we will not interfere with the President of the United States as he conducts his process with the Iranians."
According to Katz, Iran's plans against Israel extend far beyond missile attacks and include invasion and occupation scenarios. He said that is why Israel insists on maintaining its security zones in Lebanon, Gaza, and Syria despite international pressure.
"Just the other day, a terrorist cell attempted to infiltrate communities in the Golan Heights, and the cell was neutralized thanks to the security zone," he said.
Asked toward the end of the briefing about the possibility of toppling the regime in Tehran, Katz responded cautiously, saying Israel would welcome such an outcome but acknowledged that it did not materialize.
"That was always an aspiration, and I wish it had happened. The Mossad did its job and prepared plans, but there were outside factors that did not act, and therefore it did not happen."