© UnknownBenjamin Netanyahu and Israel Katz
Speaking at a graduation ceremony for combat officers in southern occupied Palestine on Thursday, Netanyahu stated that Israeli troops will remain in the so-called "security zones" across these territories indefinitely.
Katz reinforced the provocative stance, rejecting any pressure to withdraw and insisting that occupation of these areas will continue as long as the regime deems it necessary.
Katz said on Wednesday that the Tel Aviv regime "will not withdraw from southern Lebanon," even in the event of a request made by the administration of US President Donald Trump.
His defiance comes despite Article 1 of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding which explicitly requires the "immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon" and commits all parties to ensuring Lebanon's territorial integrity and sovereignty.
Since the MoU took effect on June 18, Israel has not only maintained its occupation but has continued relentless airstrikes in southern Lebanon.
Katz added that he had conveyed Israel's position to US war secretary Pete Hegseth, while Netanyahu had told President Donald Trump that Israeli forces would remain in southern Lebanon.
This brazen display of aggression and expansionism comes amid ongoing ceasefire violations and despite growing international calls for an end to the Zionist entity's brutal offensives.
It exposes the true expansionist nature of the Tel Aviv regime, which seeks to entrench its control over sovereign Arab lands while committing atrocities against the people of Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria.
Netanyahu's remarks, delivered even as some reports indicate internal dissent within Israeli ranks, reflect a desperate attempt to project strength amid battlefield setbacks and growing isolation.
The regime's continued presence in southern Lebanon, the Syrian Golan, and Gaza only fuels further resistance and guarantees that the struggle for liberation will intensify until the complete expulsion of Zionist forces from all occupied territories.
Despite the ceasefire commitment, Israeli forces have continued carrying out strikes in southern Lebanon. Attacks on Beirut's southern suburbs and border villages have killed dozens of civilians.
Lebanese officials say more than 4,100 people have been killed since March.
Comment: Eyeopener for Trump? He must see he's being played for the tool he and the US have become.