Israeli Defense Minister: 'No Limits' on Eliminating Threats in Lebanon, No Troop Withdrawal

Although Iran has set a ceasefire in Lebanon as a condition for follow-up negotiations with the United States, Israel has maintained its stance that there are no limits to the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) response to the threat from Hezbollah and that it will not withdraw its troops from southern Lebanon.

In a statement on the 21st (local time), Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said, "There have been, and there are, no restrictions on the IDF in its operations to eliminate threats within Lebanon."

He added, "The recently announced ceasefire allows the IDF to maintain all positions within the security zone to defend our northern communities," and emphasized, "The IDF will never withdraw from the security zone in Lebanon."

This statement was released as Iran announced that it would prioritize the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel as a key agenda item in the context of talks between the U.S. and Iran in Switzerland.

Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated on X, "The Islamic Republic of Iran has a firm will to very closely and seriously track the process of the other party's (the U.S.) fulfillment of its commitments."

He explained that "the meeting held in Switzerland today is to review the implementation status of the provisions of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on ending the war dated the 18th," and noted that "according to Article 13 of the MOU, the commencement of negotiations for a final agreement depends on the implementation of Articles 1, 4, 5, 10, and 11."

He drew a line by stating, "Without the implementation of these provisions, especially Article 1, which calls for 'ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon,' it is impossible to enter the negotiation phase for a final agreement."

(Photo: Provided by the Israeli Ministry of Defense, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.