‘More Lebanese Army, Less Israel In Lebanon’: Rubio Signals Endgame As Katz Rules Out Exit

Last Updated:June 24, 2026, 23:36 IST

Katz, however, struck a different note, he said Israel had made clear to Washington that it would maintain its military presence in southern Lebanon.

After Israeli leaders doubled down on plans to retain a security zone in southern Lebanon, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio outlined what Washington sees as the long-term objective of ongoing negotiations between Israel and Lebanon: less Hezbollah, more Lebanese state control and, eventually, less Israeli military presence.

Rubio’s remarks appeared to stand in contrast to comments from Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, who insisted on Wednesday that the United States had not demanded an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and that Israel had no intention of leaving.

“The more of that area the Lebanese armed forces is able to secure, the less of it is in Hezbollah’s control, the less Israel will be in Lebanon," Rubio said while speaking to reporters in Kuwait, describing the disputed buffer zone as being “at the core" of US-mediated talks between Beirut and Jerusalem.

Rubio held talks with Kuwait’s leader on Wednesday, after renewing Washington’s commitment to the region’s security in a meeting with the UAE’s president during a tour of the Gulf.

He is seeking to reassure close US allies hit hard by Iran during West Asia war about Washington’s memorandum of understanding with Tehran, which fails to address some of the Gulf’s long-standing concerns about its missile programme and proxies.

Katz, however, struck a different note. Speaking at a convention of local leaders in Tel Aviv, he said Israel had made clear to Washington that it would maintain its military presence in southern Lebanon regardless of Lebanese demands for a withdrawal.

“We have announced that in any case we are not withdrawing and, as of this moment — and this is a diplomatic achievement — there is no American demand for Israel to withdraw from Lebanon," Katz said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed that position, saying Israel would maintain the security zone in southern Lebanon “for as long as it is necessary" while continuing operations against Hezbollah infrastructure.

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Shankhyaneel Sarkar

Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has c...Read More

News world ‘More Lebanese Army, Less Israel In Lebanon’: Rubio Signals Endgame As Katz Rules Out Exit

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