Isreal to stay ‘indefinitely’ in lands seized in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza, says defence minister
Key takeaways
- By: FRANCE 24 Smoke rises following an Israeli strike in Nabatieh, Lebanon on June 15, 2026.
- 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.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Monday that Israeli ground forces would remain in land they hold in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza, potentially challenging a memorandum of understanding announced a day earlier between the US and Iran to end the war in the Middle East.
By: FRANCE 24 Smoke rises following an Israeli strike in Nabatieh, Lebanon on June 15, 2026. © Stringer, Reuters Israel’s defence minister said Monday that Israel won’t 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.