by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – Newly appointed Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated on Wednesday that Israel would reject any ceasefire agreement that does not require Hezbollah to withdraw beyond the Litani River, amid reports that a deal may be close.
“We will not agree to just any cease-fires, we will not take our foot off the gas, and we will not accept any agreement that does not include the achievement of the war goals,” Katz said on Wednesday.
Katz outlined Israel’s conditions for a potential deal, stating that it includes “the disarmament of Hezbollah, its withdrawal beyond the Litani [River], and creating the conditions for the residents of the north to return to their homes in safety.”
Katz further emphasized that any agreement must grant Israel the right to “enforce” the terms and to “act against any terrorist activity and organization,” he explained.
Several media outlets reported that Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday to discuss the terms of a potential deal. France, also involved in the mediation efforts, addressed Israel’s security concerns during a visit by its Foreign Minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, to the Jewish state last week.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
A planned auction of more than 600 Holocaust-era artifacts was cancelled in Germany after an outcry from survivors, victims’ families, civil society groups, and top government officials.
Clashes broke out in Mexico City on Sunday as thousands of mostly younger protesters rallied against “organized crime, corruption and impunity” following the assassination of a local mayor. At least 120 people were injured, authorities said.
The burial of a 19-year-old girl killed in a June bombing at the Mar Elias Church in Syria’s capital Damascus has become a stark symbol of the “ethno-religious cleansing” facing Syria’s ancient Christian community, a Swedish investigative journalist told U.S. officials.
The United Nations Security Council will vote Monday evening at 5:00 p.m. New York time on a U.S.-drafted resolution establishing an International Stabilization Force (ISF) to be deployed throughout the Gaza Strip. The draft is identical to the version presented to the Council last Thursday and outlines a multinational force that will secure borders, destroy military infrastructure, and oversee the demilitarization of Gaza. It also provides for the training of a Palestinian police force that will join the multinational force’s operations.
President Donald Trump abruptly reversed himself Sunday night, announcing that he now supports House Republicans voting to release the long-sought Epstein files—just days after blasting several GOP lawmakers for pushing the effort.
The U.S. Supreme Court has agree to take up a case that could have an effect on the 2026 midterm elections.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday issued his strongest public denunciation yet of extremist settler violence in Judea and Samaria (also known as the West Bank), promising “very forceful action” amid a sharp rise in attacks that has drawn concern from Israeli security officials, international partners, and Washington.