Hundreds of thousands of people fleeing southern Lebanon will not be allowed to return until northern Israel is safe from attacks by Hezbollah, Katz announced on Tuesday, according to Israeli media.
According to the defense minister, Israel will control the "security zone" that extends from Lebanon's southern border to the Litani River.
Clear principle
The principle is clear: where there is terror and rockets, there will be neither houses nor inhabitants, and the IDF (Israeli military) will be there, he said.
During the day, Israeli attacks on Lebanon continued with unchanged intensity. On Tuesday morning, two people were killed in an Israeli attack on a residential building in Bchamoun near Beirut, according to Lebanon's Ministry of Health.
The attack came without warning, the AP news agency reported. The Israeli military had previously issued evacuation warnings for Beirut's southern suburbs - where Iran-allied Hezbollah has a strong foothold - but not for Bchamoun.
Seven areas in the suburbs of Beirut were attacked overnight, Lebanese state media reported, AFP said. Israel has also attacked several areas in southern Lebanon.
Deaths in northern Israel
Israel announced on Tuesday evening that a woman had been killed by a projectile fired from Lebanon towards northern Israel, according to rescue workers.
There were continued attempts and pressure, including from France, urging Israel to scale back its warfare in Lebanon.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said he had urged the Israeli government to "avoid" occupying areas in southern Lebanon.
Barrot warned of the "enormous humanitarian consequences" that an Israeli military presence could have. He also said an Israeli ground presence "exacerbates an already very difficult situation in Lebanon."
Since Lebanon was drawn into the conflict in early March, at least 1,039 people have been killed as a result of Israel's military operations.
