Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth holds a bilateral exchange with Israel Minister of Defense Israel Katz at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., July 18, 2025. (DoD photo by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Noel Diaz)
Top Israeli officials continue to say that Tel Aviv will not comply with the peace deal that President Donald Trump is negotiating with Iran. Tehran says a top priority is expanding the ceasefire to Lebanon.
“Because what happened in the past in security zones, where there was also a civilian population [present], was roadside bombs and attacks against the soldiers, and therefore we will not allow that,” Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday when discussing the war in Lebanon. “We are not withdrawing.”
Fighting between Hezbollah and Israel began after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. During the conflict, the IDF occupied parts of southern Lebanon, conducted a large-scale bombing campaign, and destroyed homes.
In November 2024, Hezbollah and Tel Aviv agreed to a ceasefire. While the Lebanese group halted its attacks, Israel continued to bomb and occupy Lebanon. Hezbollah broke the ceasefire with Tel Aviv after the US and Israel attacked Iran earlier this year.
Israel responded by declaring all of southern Lebanon a security zone and demanding that the people leave. In April, the US and Iran agreed to a ceasefire. The truce was intended to expand to Lebanon, but Israel refused to halt its attacks.
Iran has attacked Israel in retaliation for the ceasefire violations. Last week, Washington and Tehran agreed to a framework for ending the war, which includes Tel Aviv ending its war and occupation of Lebanon.
