Defense Minister Israel Katz declared Thursday morning that Israel is acting entirely independently regarding its military presence and the expansion of the security zone in southern Lebanon.
Addressing Israel's operational freedom, Katz said: "We did not ask anyone for permission to enter Lebanon, and we do not need permission to remain in Lebanon. It is our right and our duty to protect the residents of the Galilee and the citizens of Israel from the threats posed by the jihadist terrorist organization Hezbollah, which seeks to destroy the State of Israel."
Recalling the beginning of the conflict, he stressed, "The Hezbollah terror group attacked Israel on its own initiative twice: after Hamas' murderous October 7 attack, and at the start of Operation Roaring Lion in Iran, when, under orders from the Iranian terrorist regime, it began firing at the State of Israel."
"Israel responded with force and, over the past two and a half years, destroyed most of Hezbollah's capabilities and its leadership, chief among them arch-terrorist [Hassan] Nasrallah, one of the architects of the plan to destroy Israel."
"Thanks to the decisions of the political leadership, the determination of the IDF command, the courage and bravery of the IDF's soldiers, and the resilience of the residents of the north, we have established a strong security zone in Lebanon - from the [Mediterranean] sea in the west to the Beaufort Ridge and the approaches to Mount Hermon in the east. It has been cleared of residents and terrorist infrastructure both above and below ground in order to protect the residents of the Galilee from the threat of infiltrations, anti-tank fire, and [other] direct threats," he added.
Concluding his remarks, Katz emphasized that both he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remain committed to maintaining Israel's presence in the security zone until its objectives are achieved.
"As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I have made clear, we will continue to remain in the security zone in Lebanon and operate from within it as long as necessary, until Hezbollah is disarmed throughout Lebanon and the threat to the residents of northern Israel is removed. We promised security to the residents of the north, and that is what we have done and what we will continue to do."