Katz said the Israel Defense Forces had been instructed to prepare for what he described as a “Blue and White operation in Iran.”
By Vered Weiss, World Israel News
Defense Minister Israel Katz said Monday that Israel is preparing for the possibility of another military confrontation with Iran, warning that Tehran could attack in response to Israeli operations in Lebanon and reiterating that Israel will not withdraw from security zones in Lebanon, Gaza, or Syria unless terrorist organizations are disarmed.
Presenting Israel’s security doctrine for the northern front and the confrontation with Iran, Katz said the Israel Defense Forces had been instructed to prepare for what he described as a “Blue and White operation in Iran” amid the current security situation.
“If we have definitive intelligence about Iranian decisions, we will act on it,” Katz said. “If Iran attacks us with missiles, we will respond with force, and this has been made clear to the Americans.”
He added that renewed fighting with Iran could occur under two circumstances. “The war with Iran will resume under one of two scenarios: if President Trump decides and we join, or if they fire at us, it will be the Third Iran War. Israel’s position is clear—there is no scenario in which Israel will allow missile fire on its territory.”
Katz also said that outside actors had been expected to join the previous conflict with Iran but ultimately did not.
He claimed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan refrained from responding after missiles landed on Turkish territory during the fighting.
Addressing Lebanon, Katz said Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem entered the conflict both to assist Iran and to alter the balance along Israel’s northern border.
He said nearly 100% of homes in villages along the contact line in western and central Lebanon had been destroyed and estimated that about 200,000 residents had not returned.
Katz said the IDF had been instructed to fire warning shots at anyone attempting to return, adding, “The civilian population is considered part of the terrorist threat and potential casualties; therefore, they will not be allowed to return.”
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