Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, has said that Israel would continue its aggression in Lebanon, Syria, Gaza and Yemen, signalling no retreat despite regional and international efforts to de-escalate tensions.
Israel "will continue its operations in Lebanon, Syria, the Gaza Strip and Yemen," the Maariv daily quoted Katz as saying during a training course for Israeli Air Force pilots.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir attended the event.
"In Lebanon, we will continue to apply maximum force against Hezbollah; in Syria, Israel will not withdraw from Mount Hermon (Jabal al-Sheikh) and the security zone; and in the Gaza Strip, Israel remains committed to dismantling Hamas and disarming the territory," Katz said.
"As for Yemen, Israel will continue its operations to prevent the Houthis from strengthening their capabilities," he added.
Addressing tensions with Tehran, Katz claimed Israel had inflicted "significant damage on Iran’s nuclear and strategic capabilities."
"I am following reports regarding Iran, which we struck strongly in cooperation with our American partners, and the security establishment is closely monitoring developments. Naturally, I cannot provide further details," he said.
