ConfirmedDiplomacy & politicsOccupied West Bank
Katz says Israel will stay in south Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed
- Mountain Time
- Local time
- 4:30 PM in Jerusalem
- Where
- Occupied West Bank
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the army would 'not withdraw from the security zone in Lebanon as long as Hezbollah is not disarmed and the threat of Hezbollah in all of Lebanon is not removed,' and that he had told it to prepare for 'an extended presence' there. He spoke at a ceremony for a settlement in the occupied West Bank, Reuters reported.
Why it matters
Lebanon has been pressing for a timetable for Israeli withdrawal under the June framework; Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem accused the Lebanese government the next day of targeting 'the resistance' instead of the occupation.
Sources (2)
- Al Jazeeraaljazeera.comPublished
- Al Jazeera (2)aljazeera.comPublished
Confidence: Corroborated by independent sources or direct evidence. About confidence labels
Correction
- Corrected the time from 6:30 PM Jerusalem time, Aug 14, 2026 to 4:30 PM Jerusalem time, Aug 13, 2026; corrected the headline (it read "Israeli Minister Katz Says Israel Will Not Withdraw From South Lebanon"); revised the summary; revised the context note; corrected the location from Southern Lebanon to Occupied West Bank; changed the confidence label from reported to confirmed; updated the sourcing note; added 2 sources: Al Jazeera; removed ABC News as a source (a live page that does not contain this report). Why and evidence