Katz: Israel won't withdraw from security zones

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz insisted on Friday that Israeli forces will not withdraw from security zones in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza, AzerNEWS reports.

In a post on X, Katz said that the Israeli army will continue to "defend our borders and our citizens from the peak of Mount Hermon, the mountains of Lebanon, the areas of our land in the Samaria region, and most of the territory of Gaza - against the threats posed by jihadist forces and organizations, as a central lesson from the events of October 7."

Speaking about United States-Iran negotiations, Katz expressed hope that US President Donald Trump will make Tehran agree to having no nuclear weapons. He added that in the future, he wants to see Israel "have the ability to act independently to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons."