Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Wednesday that Israel would maintain its military presence in the so-called security zone in southern Lebanon, vowing to destroy Hezbollah infrastructure and warning that Israeli forces would not withdraw from similar areas in Syria or Gaza.

Katz made the remarks during a visit to Israeli troops deployed in frontline areas of southern Lebanon. 

The Israeli minister and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have repeatedly said Israel will not leave the security zone, a strip of territory where Israeli forces operate that extends roughly 10 kilometers into Lebanon.

“As the prime minister and I have made unequivocally clear, we are not withdrawing from this security zone,” Katz said, according to a statement from his office.

“The IDF is here to protect the northern communities and its own forces,” he said. “We will clear this area and ensure the security of the residents of the north. Under no circumstances will we withdraw from the security zones — not in Lebanon, not in Syria and not in Gaza.”

Katz said Israeli forces were dismantling Hezbollah’s underground infrastructure in the area and destroying buildings they said were being used by the group.

During the visit, military commanders briefed Katz on operations along the front and preparations for a possible future campaign against Hezbollah. He later met with soldiers and praised what he described as their courage and the military’s achievements against the group.

Speaking near the Beaufort Ridge, Katz said Israeli forces had destroyed tunnels during an operation that crossed the Litani River, describing the action as a major operation against Hezbollah.

He said the position was important for protecting Metula and other Israeli communities near the northern border, as well as Israeli troops, while providing a commanding view over areas where Hezbollah has operated.

Katz said the security zone extended from the Mediterranean coast in the west through the Beaufort area and toward the approaches to Mount Hermon in the east.

He cited the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel as evidence that Israel needed troops physically deployed on the ground to prevent infiltrations and attacks.

“The events of Oct. 7 proved that we must hold territory on the ground to prevent infiltration and attacks,” Katz said, adding that Israeli forces were dismantling underground infrastructure and buildings used by Hezbollah, which he said was backed by Iran, to threaten Israel’s Galilee region.

“We are up here, they are down below, the residents are outside, the soldiers are inside, and the houses are destroyed,” Katz said, describing what he presented as Israel’s policy in the security zones.