Israel rules out withdrawal from Lebanon, Syria, Gaza “security zones”, Katz says

Israel will maintain control over designated “security zones” in Lebanon, Syria and the Gaza Strip, Defence Minister Israel Katz has said, signalling no change in its forward military posture amid shifting regional diplomacy involving the United States and Iran.

Speaking on Friday (June 12), Katz said on X that Israel expected Washington to pursue an agreement with Tehran in line with shared interests, particularly preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. He added that Israel must retain the ability to act independently against Iran if necessary.

“The President of the United States is working towards an agreement with Iran, based on American interests, including the shared interest with Israel of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons,” Katz said, according to remarks released by his office.

He also said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and he had instructed the Israel Defense Forces to prepare accordingly, stressing that Israel would not withdraw from what it considers strategic buffer zones in neighbouring territories.

Israel’s security doctrine, Katz said, was based on confronting both “near and distant threats” and achieving “decisive victory” rather than compromise.

He framed Iran and its regional allies as the central challenge, describing what he called an Iranian-led “axis” and a separate network of Islamist actors as key threats to Israeli security.

The comments come against the backdrop of ongoing diplomatic contacts between Washington and Tehran, which Israeli officials have repeatedly warned must include strict limits on Iran’s nuclear programme, ballistic missile development and support for allied armed groups across the region.

Israel’s position on retaining control of security zones in neighbouring states is likely to remain contentious, particularly in Lebanon and Syria, where Israeli military activity continues to draw international scrutiny.