Israeli Defence Minister Says Military Will Stay in South Lebanon Despite Ceasefire

June 21, 2026

Jerusalem: Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday that the Israeli army will not withdraw from the “security zone” it holds in southern Lebanon.

Katz affirmed in a statement that the Israeli military would remain at all positions in the security zone, which he said protects northern Israeli settlements.

He added that there was and is no restriction on Israeli soldiers in Lebanon to act to eliminate threats, Xinhua news agency reported.

Response to Hezbollah Attacks

Katz said that following Hezbollah attacks on Israeli forces, the army responded forcefully, eliminating many militants and damaging infrastructure he described as “terror” targets.

“Preserving the lives of our soldiers and citizens is the highest and absolute priority,” he stressed.

Parallel Diplomatic Talks in Switzerland

Meanwhile, US and Iranian negotiators started talks on Sunday at the Buergenstock mountain resort in central Switzerland on implementing a memorandum of understanding signed to reach a final deal.

The US delegation, led by US Vice President JD Vance, and the Iranian delegation, led by Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, attended the meeting along with mediators, according to the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA).

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the country is determined to pursue US implementation of commitments under a recently signed memorandum during the meeting.

He said the meeting aims to follow up on the MoU’s implementation, stressing that future negotiations depend on conditions including ending conflicts on all fronts, lifting the US naval blockade, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, easing oil export restrictions, and releasing frozen Iranian assets.