Katz: Our Forces Will Continue to Control the Areas They Are Present in Lebanon

SadaNews Translation - Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated on Friday that his forces still control and will continue to control all areas that they have cleared so far in Lebanon.

In a press statement, as translated by SadaNews, he added that the ground operation inside Lebanon and the attacks on Hezbollah throughout Lebanon have achieved many successes, but it is not yet complete.

He continued: The goal we have set is to dismantle Hezbollah from its weapons through military or political means, and this remains the objective of the battle that we are committed to. An important political lever has now been created with direct participation from the President of the United States to ensure commitment to this goal while exerting pressure on the Lebanese government.

He pointed out that more than 1,700 militants have been eliminated, which is more than double the number of casualties in the Second Lebanon War. A buffer zone under the control of his forces has been established, extending 10 kilometers deep from the border line to the tank fire line, stretching from the west by the sea to the Mount Hermon area in the east, to remove the threats of invasion and protect against direct fire on the settlements, he said.

Israeli Defense Minister added: The buffer zone has been cleared of militants and combat means, and it is uninhabited. We will continue the cleansing operations, including the destruction of houses in the Lebanese border villages that have turned into "terrorist" sites in every sense of the word, as he expressed, according to SadaNews translation.

He stated: The area between the buffer zone and the Litani River line, which is controlled by our forces with fire, is still not cleared of militants and combat means, and this must be executed either politically or through the continued military activity of our forces after the ceasefire.

He concluded by saying: If gunfire resumes, we will intensify our attacks throughout Lebanon until we achieve all our objectives.