Israel expects U.S. President Donald Trump to uphold the objective of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons in the looming memorandum of understanding to end the conflict with Tehran, Defense Minister Israel Katz tweeted on Friday.
He added that Iran’s ballistic missiles program and its funding of terrorist proxies across the Middle East are two subjects also expected to be included in the advanced-stage negotiations.
Katz stated that Israel must ensure its independence to act against Iran in the future, and that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have instructed the Israel Defense Forces to prepare for this scenario.
He vowed that Israeli forces will not withdraw from the “the security zones in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza. The IDF will continue to defend our borders and our citizens from the peak of Mount Hermon, the mountains of Lebanon, the areas of our land in the Samaria region, and most of the territory of Gaza—against the threats posed by jihadist forces and organizations,” as a central lesson from the Hamas-led massacre in Israel’s northwestern Negev on Oct. 7, 2023.
Katz noted that the “terrorist camps in northern Samaria” have been evacuated of residents, and “if necessary,” operations will expand to additional camps in the area—likely referring to Palestinian “refugee” camps in Jenin, Tulkarem, Nur Shams, and Far’a, whose residents were evacuated during “Operation Iron Wall” in the start of 2025.
“Our security doctrine is sharp and clear: We act against both near and distant threats and strive for decisive outcomes rather than compromises and concessions,” the defense minister stressed.
“Much is at stake in this period, and we are determined to continue leading a firm security policy that will prevent harm to our security achievements and will not endanger our ability to fight against the Shi’ite axis of evil led by Iran and the Sunni axis of evil led by the Muslim Brotherhood,” Katz continued.
The minister expressed his gratitude to the IDF soldiers and to the residents of Israel’s north, along the border with Lebanon, which has been bombarded by Hezbollah for long periods since the start of the war in 2023.
He moreover embraced the bereaved families who have lost loved ones during the war and wished a speedy recovery to all the wounded, “in body and soul, who have devoted themselves to defending Jewish lives and the security of the State of Israel.”
