Israel says it won’t withdraw troops from Lebanon, Syria, Gaza
Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz has declared that Israeli troops will remain indefinitely in "security zones" in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Syria, marking a major policy shift in the country's military approach to border security. Katz emphasized that unlike previous instances, the Israeli military is not retreating from areas that have been cleared and taken, stating that troops will remain in the security zones acting as a buffer between adversaries and Israeli communities "regardless of whether the situation in Gaza is temporary or permanent" – similar to the approach in Lebanon and Syria. The defense minister's announcement comes after Israel unilaterally expanded its frontiers in the war unleashed by Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack, and the military strengthens its control over various occupied regions. Israel says it must maintain control of what it refers to as security zones to […]
