Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz said today that Israeli army forces will be deployed within a security zone in Lebanon, on a defensive line designated to confront anti-tank missiles. At the conclusion of a session to assess the situation, Katz stressed that these forces will impose security control over the entire region up to the Litani River, stressing that the return of more than 600,000 residents of southern Lebanon, who were evacuated to the north, will be completely prevented from returning to their areas south of the Litani, until the safety and security of the residents of the north are guaranteed in Israel. He pointed out that all homes in the Lebanese villages near the border will be demolished, according to what he described as the Rafah and Beit Hanoun models in Gaza, with the aim of permanently removing any potential threat to the residents of the north near the border. He added that work is underway to address the bombing fires coming from other areas inside Lebanon, and that this treatment will intensify during the coming period. He stressed that Israel is determined to separate Lebanon from the Iranian arena, to uproot Hezbollah, and to eliminate its threatening capabilities, considering that the goal is to bring about a radical change in the Lebanese reality through a security presence of the Israeli army in the locations it deems necessary, in addition to strict application of deterrence measures. He continued, saying: "As is the case in Syria and Gaza, the same will be the case in Lebanon." He concluded by emphasizing that "the Israeli army will protect residents and communities from inside enemy territory, adding that they pledged to protect the communities of the north, and this will be fully implemented."