During his visit to southern Lebanon, Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz confirmed his intention to keep Israeli forces in the areas occupied by Israel in southern Lebanon, as well as in Syria and the Gaza Strip. Katz said, according to a statement issued by his office, “As I and the Prime Minister clearly said, we will not withdraw from this security zone.” He continued, "The army is here to protect the settlements in northern Israel and its forces. We will work to cleanse this area. We will not withdraw from the security areas under any circumstances: not in Lebanon, not in Syria, not in Gaza." Israeli forces continue to deploy and carry out strikes and operations within a strip of Lebanese territory extending about 10 kilometers along the border. Katz explained that the army is "destroying the underground infrastructure" in the area and "destroying all the homes."