Defense minister says Israel won't withdraw from land seized in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza
Source: AP
Updated 3:39 AM EDT, June 15, 2026
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) Israels defense minister said Monday that Israel wont withdraw from land seized in Lebanon, potentially challenging an interim deal that Iran and the United States reached hours earlier that includes opening the Strait of Hormuz and further extending a shaky ceasefire.
Details of the deal were not immediately released and Iran signaled implementation would not start until the signing, which key mediator Pakistan said would take place Friday in Switzerland.
But the memorandum of understanding over the war already faced hurdles. Israels continued hostilities with the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah in Lebanon, where Israel bombed Beiruts southern suburbs Sunday, nearly derailed the negotiations. Israel joined the U.S. in launching the war on Feb. 28.
Israel says it wont withdraw from Lebanon
In the first official Israeli comments after the announcement of the deal, Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel wont withdraw from land seized in Lebanon as the interim deal is pending. Katz said Israel plans to stay indefinitely in lands it holds in Lebanon, as well as Syria and the Gaza Strip. Iran has tied the interim deal over the war to halting Israels attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon. Katz also threatened that if Iran attacks Israel over Israeli strikes in Lebanon, Israel will strike Iran with great force.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-war-oil-june-15-2026-77406473da38c6c126818610a219dc20
Akakoji
(601 posts)NYTimes
Yan Zhuang
June 15, 2026, 2:30 a.m.
Yan Zhuang
Israels national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, said on social media early Monday that the country was not bound by the U.S.-Iran agreement, which he said did not ensure Israels security. He called on Israel not to withdraw from any captured territory or compromise on anything less than the dismantling of Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militant group in Lebanon. Israel was not party to the negotiations, and its war with Hezbollah is one of the thorniest outstanding issues for the peace agreement.
cstanleytech
(28,674 posts)Aussie105
(8,300 posts)Territorial acquisition is too strong for Israel.
The hate for Iran is too strong.
How is Donald going to react?
Sanctions and withdrawal of support for Israel?
Regime change in Israel?
The 'Venezuela solution'?
Dr. T
(789 posts)Previous U.S. presidents understood the history of the Middle East. President Twit Fuck can't comprehend history and had to learn the hard way.
Lovie777
(24,205 posts)including a few Democrats. The killing and taking Lebanon land will continue. Same with what's left of Gaza. The people who screamed genocide re Gaza and voting for the monster in the WH........................
what say you.
Oh, by the way, shithole is still eyeing for the resort in Gaza
Bok_Tukalo
(4,550 posts)who would have guessed that the river was the Nile and the sea was the Caspian?
thesquanderer
(13,153 posts)Bettie
(19,967 posts)not shocking. 100% expected.
AloeVera
(4,571 posts)Or worse. The trajectory was clear.
The Nakba continues for the nearly 500,000 Palestinians and descendents of those expelled in 1948 and 1967, who fled to Lebanon, mainly to squalid refugee camps in the south that have now been "cleansed".
Will Israel claim attacks from Jordan next? There is a sizable Palestinian refugee population there too. Also part of "Greater Israel". Not beyond the realm of possibility.
It's a 78-year old con job on the West.
Bettie
(19,967 posts)actually contains the majority of entierity of several other nations in the Middle East.
The whole thing is such a mess and it isn't wealthy people who suffer.
But then, it never is.
JBTaurus83
(1,790 posts)They dont want the war to end. They have clearly stated that.
Botany
(78,108 posts)And they have never tried to make it right to the Palestinians and their descendants. The West Bank and
Gaza connected by a 100% secure road or train should be the new Palestine and Jerusalem should be
an open city to both Jews and Muslims. Btw screw all of the American Christo Fascists who dream of
a greater Israel and the end days of a Biblical Armageddon.
Bibis Israel has no intention to giving up Gaza, Lebanese Territories, or even parts of Syria.
Bayard
(30,575 posts)trump gets to withdraw, and claim he won. Bibi will go on stealing land, and crying when he gets his hands slapped.
orangecrush
(31,679 posts)Prairie Gates
(8,603 posts)They are an expansionary state waging aggressive war against their neighbors.
Martin68
(28,197 posts)occupying troops until they've had enough and withdraw. Again. It happens every time.