{"id":2618384,"date":"2026-06-24T09:00:01","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T13:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/israel-katz-says-no-withdrawal-from-lebanon-even-if-us-demands-it\/"},"modified":"2026-06-24T09:01:23","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T13:01:23","slug":"israel-katz-says-no-withdrawal-from-lebanon-even-if-us-demands-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/israel-katz-says-no-withdrawal-from-lebanon-even-if-us-demands-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Israel Katz says no withdrawal from Lebanon, even if US demands it"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fisrael-katz-says-no-withdrawal-from-lebanon-even-if-us-demands-it%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2618384&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Israeli Defense Minister Israel katz stated that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will not withdraw from southern Lebanon despite potential pressure from the United States. This marks the first public acknowledgment by a top Israeli official of defiance regarding U.S. demands,citing the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fncs-carlson-on-rittenhouse-verdict-turns-out-the-american-media-arent-in-charge-of-our-country-most-people-dont-watch-that-crap\/\" title=\"FNC&#039;s Carlson on Rittenhouse Verdict: Turns Out the American Media Aren&#039;t in Charge of Our Country -- &#039;Most People Don&#039;t Watch that Crap&#039;\">ongoing threat posed<\/a> by Hezbollah and emphasizing that provided that Hezbollah remains armed,Israel will maintain its presence in southern Lebanon. Katz underscored the importance of the IDF&#8217;s role in defending communities and preventing civilian presence in security zones, asserting that Israel fought a lengthy insurgency against Hezbollah from 1982 to 2000 and <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >maintains similar operational principles<\/a> in Gaza and Syria. The divide between the U.S. and Israel on Lebanon&#8217;s future has deepened, especially with Iran&#8217;s influence, wich insists Israel withdraw from Lebanon as part of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/zelenskyy-takes-a-vicious-shot-at-trump-claims-he-lives-in-a-disinformation-space\/\" title=\"Zelenskyy Takes a Vicious Shot at Trump, Claims He &#039;Lives in a Disinformation Space&#039;\">potential peace deal<\/a>.Despite U.S. efforts to broker a ceasefire, fighting persists, and Israel has been cautious, avoiding major strikes outside southern Lebanon to avoid provoking tensions. within Israeli politics, some leaders, like National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, have called for a more assertive stance, urging Prime Minister Netanyahu to resist U.S. pressure and take stronger action against Hezbollah, which Israel views as an existential threat, amidst a broader consensus to curb Iran and Hezbollah\u2019s influence in the region.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/israel\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"219\">Israeli<\/a> Defense Minister Israel Katz said the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/idf\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1769\">Israel Defense Forces<\/a> will not withdraw from southern <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/lebanon\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1192\">Lebanon<\/a>, even if the United States demands it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Katz\u2019s comment is the first time any top Israeli official has publicly said they would go against the U.S. regarding Lebanon, after two weeks of avoidance. Stressing the danger posed to soldiers, Katz invoked the possibility of U.S. pressure at the Muni Expo conference for local officials in Tel Aviv for the first time. As long as Hezbollah remains armed, he said, Israel will not withdraw from southern Lebanon, \u201ceven if there is an American demand.\u201d<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4620816\/ultra-orthodox-jews-political-football-netanyahu-conscription-protests\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Ultra-Orthodox Jews become political football for Netanyahu<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4621512\/marco-rubio-sanctions-cuba-gaesa-natural-resources\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Rubio sanctions Cuban entities despite country\u2019s attempt to liberalize<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4621380\/france-europe-record-heat-wave-drownings\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Forty drown in France trying to escape record heat wave scorching Europe<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe IDF must be on the enemy\u2019s side of the border and protect the communities from within the territory itself,\u201d he said, adding that this was a central part of its combat doctrine.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTwo hundred thousand residents will not return. There are no civilians and no terrorists,\u201d Katz added. \u201cIn the past, when there was civilian presence in security zones, there were explosives and attacks against soldiers \u2014 that is why we do not allow it. Soldiers inside, civilians outside.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">FILE -Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz makes statements with his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias after their meeting in Athens, Greece, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo\/Thanassis Stavrakis, File)<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2026\/06\/localimages\/AP26059233386132.jpg?w=696&#8243; &#8220;https:><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz makes statements with his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias after their meeting in Athens, Greece, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo\/Thanassis Stavrakis, File)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Israel fought a nearly two-decade-long insurgency against <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/hezbollah\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"814\">Hezbollah<\/a> and its precursors in southern Lebanon from 1982 to 2000, an insurgency characterized by ambushes and roadside bombs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Katz extended his logic to Israeli security zones in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/gaza\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"217\">Gaza<\/a> and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/syria\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"109\">Syria<\/a>, adding that the IDF wouldn\u2019t withdraw from those places either.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAll three security zones operate under the same model and reflect the current reality,\u201d he said, adding at another point, \u201cThe main goal of Hamas in Gaza is for us to withdraw.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lebanon has increasingly become one of the biggest areas of divergence between the U.S. and Israel, particularly after Iran insisted it be added to the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding. One of the clauses of the MOU said the ceasefire must extend to Lebanon, and the language <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4613001\/read-iran-mou-deal\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4613001\/read-iran-mou-deal\/\">suggested Israel would withdraw<\/a> from the country. Tehran has repeatedly said Israel\u2019s withdrawal from Lebanon would be a necessity of any lasting peace deal, and threatened to withdraw from the MOU altogether if this didn\u2019t take place.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The divergence between the U.S. and Israel on Lebanon was already evident when the ceasefire took effect in April, after the war repeatedly threatened to collapse the ceasefire. The U.S. pressured Israeli officials to meet with Lebanese government officials to negotiate a ceasefire, albeit one where Hezbollah wasn\u2019t a party. Fighting has continued after Hezbollah said it wouldn\u2019t recognize the ceasefire, though Jerusalem has mostly refrained from major strikes against Beirut and areas outside of southern Lebanon.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">A portrait of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah hangs on a coffee shop in the town of Nabatiyeh, southern Lebanon, Wednesday, June 24, 2026, after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo\/Bilal Hussein)<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2026\/06\/localimages\/AP26175404633087.jpg?w=696&#8243; &#8220;https:><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A portrait of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah hangs on a coffee shop in the town of Nabatiyeh, southern Lebanon, Wednesday, June 24, 2026, after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo\/Bilal Hussein)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wary of angering its most important ally, Israel has mostly begrudgingly gone along with U.S. wishes, relenting to pressure to hold off on further major attacks in Lebanon. Not all in Israel\u2019s leadership are in agreement, however \u2014 Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir publicly called on Israeli Prime Minister <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/benjamin-netanyahu\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"378\">Benjamin Netanyahu<\/a> to ignore President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"4\">Donald Trump<\/a> on Lebanon.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMr. Prime Minister, you said that a strong <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/uk-govt-lockdown-to-last-12-months-expect-repeated-vaccinations\/\" title=\"UK Govt: Lockdown to Last 12+ Months, Expect Repeated Vaccinations\">prime minister<\/a> tells the President of the United States\u2014\u2019yes\u2019 when possible, and \u2018no\u2019\u2014when necessary. This is the time to tell our friend, President Trump\u2014\u2019no,\u2019\u201d he said in a post on X.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4590569\/israel-ben-gvir-netanyahu-trump-lebanon\/\" type=\"post\" id=\"4590569\">ISRAELI SECURITY MINISTER TELLS NETANYAHU \u2018TIME TO SAY NO\u2019 TO TRUMP ON LEBANON<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNow is the time to do what is required and necessary to strike Hezbollah, to unleash the hands of our fighters, and to restore security to the north,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While Israel is politically fractured in many respects, the whole political spectrum is largely united around a desire to crush Iran and Hezbollah. Hezbollah is particularly seen as an existential threat to Israel, and the current moment is seen as the best chance so far to eliminate the group.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Israeli Defense Minister: IDF won&#8217;t leave Lebanon despite U.S. demands<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2653,"featured_media":2618385,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/AP25199622428881.webp?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[4671,81639,23728,57471,81638],"class_list":["post-2618384","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-israel","tag-israel-katz","tag-lebanon","tag-middle-east-tensions","tag-us-demands-2"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/AP25199622428881.webp?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2618384","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2653"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2618384"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2618384\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2618388,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2618384\/revisions\/2618388"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2618385"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2618384"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2618384"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2618384"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}