Defense Minister Israel Katz, speaking from Lebanon’s border villages: “The IDF is here to stay in the security zones in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza, and to defend the entire State of Israel. We are here on top—and they are below. I have instructed the IDF to take all necessary steps to prepare for a long-term presence in the field.” Katz visited IDF forces in Lebanon Wednesday morning alongside Deputy Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Tamir Yadai, Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo, 36th Division commander Col. Yiftach Norkin, Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Col. Hisham Ibrahim, and other commanders.
The defense minister received a comprehensive briefing from commanders on operations in the field and discussed the operational preparations needed for the expected confrontation with Hezbollah ahead. Katz then spoke with soldiers in the field, praised them, and expressed deep appreciation for the heroic battle they waged against Hezbollah terrorists and for the major achievements on the ground.
Defense Minister Israel Katz:
“Here we see the Beaufort Ridge after the tunnels there were destroyed. The IDF carried out a maneuver here. As you can see here, the Litani Brigade, in a heroic operation carried out with tremendous skill, defeated Hezbollah, captured the Beaufort Ridge—which protects Metula, the northerncommunities, and IDF soldiers—and now threatens all of Hezbollah’s territories on the horizon. As the Prime Minister and I have made absolutely clear, we will not withdraw from this security zone. I am standing here in the heart of the security zone—a zone stretching from the coast in the west to the Beaufort area and the springs of Mount Hermon in the east.
The IDF is here to defend the northern communities and its own forces. It will not move from here; we are not withdrawing. We will clear this area and ensure the security of the residents of the north, and under no circumstances will we withdraw—not from Lebanon, not from Syria, not from Gaza—from the security zones. The lesson of October 7 is that we protect the residents by having the IDF present here in these locations, shielding them from raids, gunfire, and everything else. This is our policy; this is our approach, and this Operation Beaufort illustrates the significance of this policy more than anything else.
We’re up here, they’re down there; the residents are protected; the IDF is inside; 200,000 residents are outside. We’re destroying the underground tunnels they built to invade the Galilee and demolishing all the houses in the area. This is our policy; we will continue to implement it and will under no circumstances allow enemies of this kind— jihadist enemies— to threaten our residents or our borders. We are up here, they are down there, the residents are outside, the soldiers are inside, and the houses are destroyed.”