Israeli defense minister vowed on Saturday to respond with "great force" if Iran attacked Israel in an attempt to prevent the implementation of an agreement with Lebanon aimed at securing peace between the two countries. "If Iran tries to attack Israel to prevent the implementation of the agreement, we will act against it with great force," Israel Katz said in a video statement, adding that the agreement with Lebanon had dealt a "strategic blow to the Iranian axis". Lebanon and Israel, under US sponsorship, signed an agreement on Friday hoping to end hostilities between them, but experts say it does not guarantee Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon and its implementation depends on Hezbollah and its backer Iran. Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem condemned the agreement on Saturday, accusing the government of surrendering Lebanese sovereignty and declaring the agreement null and void. Lebanon took the historic step of negotiating directly with Israel despite them having no diplomatic relations, as a reaction to Tehran-backed Hezbollah drawing the country into the Middle East war on March 2. Israel said it will not leave occupied Lebanese territory unless the group is disarmed. Katz added on Saturday that Israeli forces had been ordered to prepare for an extended stay in the so-called occupied security zone in southern Lebanon, after Israel and Lebanon agreed on the framework to end hostilities. "The prime minister and I have instructed the army to prepare for an extended stay in the security zone," Israel Katz said in a video statement, referring to an area up to 10 kilometers (six miles) inside the Lebanese territory. "The important principle established in the agreement is that there will be no redeployment by Israel in southern Lebanon, no withdrawal, as long as the terrorist organization Hezbollah is not disarmed throughout Lebanon," he said.
