Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz have said that troops will maintain an indefinite presence in southern Lebanon, Syria and the Gaza Strip.
They were both speaking at a graduation for combat officers in southern Israel on Thursday.
“We dominate southern Lebanon, from the summit of the Beaufort, and we will remain as long as required in the security zone,” Netanyahu said. “We do not intend to withdraw from it.”
Katz said: “The Israeli military will remain in the security zones in Lebanon, in Syria and in Gaza without any time limit.”
He said that Israel opposed withdrawal from Lebanon “despite all the pressures that exist and those that are yet to come”.
