By 5 Towns Central Staff

JERUSALEM (June 29, 2026) — Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz revealed new details Monday about high-level discussions within Israel’s leadership during the recent conflict with Iran, describing disagreements over whether military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon should be tied to developments on the Iranian front.

According to Katz, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resisted repeated efforts by the United States to link a ceasefire in Lebanon with broader diplomatic efforts involving Iran. Katz said he witnessed several conversations between Netanyahu and President Donald Trump in which the prime minister argued for maintaining military pressure on Hezbollah independent of negotiations concerning Iran.

Katz said Israel viewed its operations in Lebanon as an opportunity to significantly weaken Hezbollah’s military capabilities. He noted that widespread evacuations from Beirut’s southern suburbs, southern Lebanon, and other areas created what he described as strategic leverage to reshape the security situation along Israel’s northern border.

He also stated that Israeli military planners had prepared additional operational options, including expanded airstrikes throughout Lebanon and possible evacuation warnings for communities in the Beqaa Valley. According to Katz, those plans were intended to further degrade Hezbollah’s infrastructure and improve long-term security for residents of northern Israel.

Katz asserted that Hezbollah sought to connect the Lebanon conflict to the Iran front in hopes of securing a ceasefire, while acknowledging that U.S. efforts to pursue diplomatic engagement with Iran ultimately influenced Israel’s military decisions.

Instead of significantly expanding operations, Katz said Israel shifted to an alternative strategy that included continued targeted strikes and reinforcing security measures along the border. He expressed concern that Hezbollah has since reestablished a presence in some areas of southern Lebanon, including locations south of the Litani River, despite ongoing Israeli military operations.

The remarks provide one of the most detailed public accounts to date of internal Israeli deliberations over military strategy during the recent regional conflict and highlight the balancing of operational objectives with broader diplomatic considerations involving Israel’s closest ally.