Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz spoke for the first time on Thursday with his British counterpart, John Healy, in an exchange marked by discussions on regional security issues.
During the interview, Katz stressed that Israel's top priority remains the release of the hostages. He called on the UK to oppose any proposed ceasefire that was not conditional on their release.
The Israeli minister also warned that his country would react firmly to any violation of the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon, affirming Israel's determination not to return to the previous situation in order to guarantee the security of the inhabitants of the north of the country. A particular point was raised regarding Iran's continued attempts to establish new terrorist fronts against Israel, notably in the east in Judea and Samaria. Katz warned of Iranian efforts to destabilize the region and called for stronger cooperation with London to confront them, particularly to prevent the arming of Hezbollah.
The British Defense Secretary reaffirmed his country's support for Israel's right to defend itself. The two officials concluded their meeting by pledging to strengthen security ties between their countries.
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