Katz warns ceasefire in jeopardy if Hezbollah does not withdraw from south Lebanon

Defense Minister Israel Katz says that if Hezbollah does not withdraw from southern Lebanon “there will be no agreement,” and Israel will be forced to act.

“Israel is interested in the implementation of the agreement in Lebanon and will continue to enforce it fully and without compromise to ensure the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes,” Katz says during a visit to an IDF base in northern Israel where the military has set up a display of captured Hezbollah weapons.

“But the first condition for the implementation of the agreement is the complete withdrawal of the Hezbollah terror organization beyond the Litani River, the dismantling of all weapons, and the [removal] of the terror infrastructure in the area by the Lebanese army, something that hasn’t happened yet,” he says.

“If this condition is not met, there will be no agreement, and Israel will be forced to act independently to ensure the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes,” Katz adds.