Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Thursday, June 25, 2026
From the Liveblog of
Thursday, June 25, 2026
Katz: Troops staying in security zones in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleEmanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
Defense Minister Israel Katz speaks at a cadets' graduation ceremony at the Bahad 1 officers' school in southern Israel, June 25, 2026. (Screenshot/Israel Defense Forces)
Speaking at an IDF cadets graduation ceremony, Defense Minister Israel Katz again says Israeli forces will remain inside security zones in Lebanon, Syria, and the Gaza Strip, “without any time limit.”
He says this is “to protect our residents and communities against jihadist elements.”
“We will not compromise on Israel’s supreme security interest: protecting our soldiers and safeguarding our citizens, and we will not withdraw from the security zones,” Katz says at the officers’ school in southern Israel, known as Bahad 1.
He also warns Tehran that if “Iran attacks Israel because of our actions in Lebanon, or for any other reason, we will strike it with full force.”
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