Defense Minister Israel Katz hails the "historic" deal between Israel and Lebanon signed yesterday, saying it "may, for the first time in decades, shape a new and safer reality along the northern border and in Lebanon."

He says that the IDF will not be entirely withdrawing from Lebanon, as he previously pledged, and the military will maintain its security zone , including the Beaufort Castle ridge area.

"The test will be the implementation of the agreement, and many challenges are still expected," Katz says, adding that he instructed the military to "prepare for a prolonged stay in the security zone and to make the necessary preparations to protect IDF soldiers and remove threats to the communities in the north."

"The important principle established in the agreement is that there will be... no withdrawal whatsoever as long as the Hezbollah terror organization has not been disarmed throughout Lebanon," he says.

He says the agreement "also constitutes a strategic blow to the Iranian axis."

"Iran attempted to force Israel to withdraw from Lebanon through threats and pressure on the United States, and failed," Katz says.

He also warns Tehran, saying that "If Iran attempts to attack Israel to prevent the implementation of the agreement, we will act against it with great force."