Netanyahu Says Israeli Troops Will Remain in Southern Lebanon Until Hezbollah Threat Ends
"Our position is clear: we will not leave southern Lebanon until the threat has disappeared. And as long as Hezbollah, armed, is here and threatening us, we will stay here," Netanyahu said in a statement released by his office.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Israeli troops in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, declaring that Israeli forces would remain deployed in the area until the Iran-backed Hezbollah group no longer poses a security threat.
The visit came days after Lebanon and Israel signed a U.S.-brokered framework agreement aimed at paving the way for a permanent peace and the eventual disarmament of Hezbollah.
"Our position is clear: we will not leave southern Lebanon until the threat has disappeared. And as long as Hezbollah, armed, is here and threatening us, we will stay here," Netanyahu said in a statement released by his office.
Addressing Iran and Hezbollah, Netanyahu added: "Leave this place, you no longer belong here... There are two sovereign states that want to live in peace."
Under the 14-point framework agreement signed last week, any Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory is contingent on the Lebanese government disarming Hezbollah. The plan envisions the creation of "pilot zones" that will be transferred to the control of the Lebanese Armed Forces as part of a phased security arrangement.
Hezbollah entered the regional conflict in March by launching rockets into northern Israel in support of its allies, prompting Israeli retaliatory airstrikes and a subsequent ground offensive in southern Lebanon.
Israeli forces are currently operating within what Israel describes as a "security zone" extending roughly 10 kilometers (six miles) inside Lebanese territory along the shared border.
According to Lebanese authorities, Israeli military operations since the conflict began on March 2 have killed more than 4,200 people. During the same period, the Israeli military says 38 Israeli soldiers and one civilian defense contractor have been killed.
The framework agreement, brokered by the United States and signed in Washington on June 26, is intended to establish a permanent ceasefire and create a pathway toward comprehensive peace between Israel and Lebanon. It also marks the first official Lebanese recognition of Israel's sovereignty since 1983.