Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a response Thursday morning to remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, who said he believed Israel would withdraw its forces from Lebanon as part of the framework agreement signed in Washington between Jerusalem and Beirut, Ynet News reports.
“We did not ask permission from any party to enter Lebanon, and we do not need permission to remain in Lebanon,” Katz said in an apparent response to the American president.
Trump was asked Wednesday on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Türkiye, whether he believed Israel should withdraw IDF troops from southern Lebanon. He said that after speaking with “Bibi,” he believed Israel wanted to do so, adding that Israel and Lebanon were getting along and signing agreements for the first time.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said an agreement was in place and that it reflected the ultimate goal, while noting that Israel remained concerned about its security. He added that Trump had done important work in bringing the two countries closer together.
In response, Katz said Thursday morning: “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. As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I have made clear: We will continue to remain in the security zone in Lebanon and operate from it for as long as necessary, until Hezbollah is disarmed throughout Lebanon and the threat to the residents of the north is removed. We promised security to the residents of the north, and that is what we have done and will continue to do.”
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