Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Thursday rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's suggestion that Israel was preparing to withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon, insisting that the military would remain in place until the threat posed by Hezbollah is eliminated.

"We didn't ask for anyone's approval to enter Lebanon, and we don't need approval to stay in Lebanon," Katz said in a statement.

He said Israel had both the right and the obligation to protect communities in the Galilee and all Israeli citizens from what he described as the threat posed by Hezbollah.

"It is our right and duty to defend the residents of the Galilee and Israeli citizens from the threats of the jihadist terror group Hezbollah, which aims to destroy the State of Israel," Katz said.

Reaffirming the government's position, Katz said Israel would maintain its military presence in what it describes as a security zone inside Lebanon until Hezbollah is fully disarmed across the country and no longer poses a threat to northern Israel.

"As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I have clarified, we will continue to stay in the security zone in Lebanon and to act from it as needed, until Hezbollah is disarmed in all of Lebanon and the threat to the residents of the north is removed," he added.

Katz's remarks came a day after Trump said he believed Israel intended to pull its troops out of Lebanon, despite repeated statements by Netanyahu's government that any withdrawal would depend on Hezbollah's complete disarmament.

Speaking to reporters during a meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Ankara, Trump said he had discussed the issue with Netanyahu.

"I talked to Bibi about that. I think they're going to. I think they want to. They're getting along with Lebanon, they're signing deals with Lebanon," Trump said in response to a reporter's question.