Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Friday that his country remains committed to disarming Hezbollah “through military and political means,” reaffirming the objective amid conflicting reports about the military’s current priorities in Lebanon.

“Israel’s policy in Lebanon has been and remains clear: the top objective is the disarmament of Hezbollah through military and political means, regardless of the Iran issue,” Katz said following a security assessment with senior military officials.

His remarks came as Israeli media outlets reported that disarming Hezbollah may no longer be an immediate objective of the ongoing ground offensive in southern Lebanon. Some reports, citing military sources, suggested that fully dismantling the group would require occupying all of Lebanon, a scenario the army does not consider feasible.

The Israeli military pushed back on that interpretation, emphasizing in a statement that it remains committed to a long-term goal of disarming Hezbollah.

“As the chief of staff has said in the past, the Israeli army is committed to a long-term objective of disarming Hezbollah. This objective includes a wide range of efforts that will continue over time,” the military said. It added that the current campaign is delivering significant blows to the group and weakening its capabilities, contributing to that broader objective.

Katz said Israeli forces are nearing the completion of their ground offensive in southern Lebanon, advancing to positions from which Hezbollah has been able to launch anti-tank missiles at Israeli communities.

“Homes in villages near the border in Lebanon, which effectively serve as Hezbollah outposts, will be demolished in line with the Rafah and Khan Younis model in Gaza, to remove the threat to Israeli communities,” he said.

He added that Israeli forces would maintain “security control” in southern Lebanon up to the Litani River and that residents displaced from the area would not be allowed to return until the security of northern Israel is ensured.

“The Israeli army will continue to target Hezbollah leaders and operatives throughout Lebanon, in addition to the 1,000 terrorists who have already been eliminated since the beginning of the current campaign,” Katz said, vowing further strikes against the group.

He also warned that the military would “act forcefully” in response to continued rocket fire from Lebanon.

“We promised security for the northern communities, and that is exactly what we will do,” he added.