Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz just stood up on stage in Tel Aviv and straight up told the world that the IDF isn't moving an inch out of southern Lebanon. No retreat, no surrender, keeping it 100. Katz is echoing the same hardline stance that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been pushing, making it clear that despite all the fancy talk about ceasefires and peace deals, Israel is keeping its boots on the ground.

Katz was actually bragging about the fact that the US administration isn’t putting any pressure on them to pull out. He called it a "political achievement" that Washington hasn't made any demands for Israel to back down from the Lebanese border. It’s wild because while the diplomats in DC are trying to act like they're brokering peace, Israel is running its own play, completely ignoring the noise and staying strapped in the southern Lebanon "security zone."

This whole situation is throwing major shade on the big peace talks between the US and Iran. Just last week, the big bosses signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to start 60 days of talks for a permanent peace. But that paper didn't stop the violence for even a second. Israel kept up its military campaign, which got Iran so heated they threatened to completely shut down the Strait of Hormuz, which would mess up shipping lanes for everyone.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump is up in the Oval Office trying to put a positive spin on everything, telling everyone that Iran is "being very nice" and "agreeing to everything that I want." But if you look at the actual facts, both sides are on completely different pages. Iran is demanding that Israel stop the war and get their troops out of the south, while Israel is busy running drone strikes and tightening its grip on the area.

And the violence on the streets is very real. Just this Wednesday, an Israeli drone targeted a car near the town of Kfar Rumman, leaving two people dead right there on the road. The IDF claimed they were targeting two Hezbollah fighters near Nabatieh to eliminate "immediate threats," and later said they hit another car carrying "suspects." Hezbollah called it a straight-up violation of the ceasefire, but on the ground, the bullets and bombs don't care about ceasefires.

To make things even crazier, the US is hosting peace talks between Israel and the Lebanese government to plan a phased hand-off of territory to the Lebanese army. The goal is to have the Lebanese army keep the area free of Hezbollah. But here’s the kicker: they didn’t even invite Hezbollah to the table. How are you going to negotiate a deal to clear out a block without talking to the actual people who run the block? It makes the whole negotiation look like a complete joke.