Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israeli forces will remain in southern Lebanon “as long as necessary,” describing the area as a security zone. Speaking publicly and in a video statement, Netanyahu reiterates that the deployment is intended to protect residents in northern Israel. He says Israeli troops have “full freedom of action” to address direct or developing threats to their forces and to communities in northern Israel, and he states that his instructions to the military have not changed.
Across the reports, Netanyahu also links the Lebanon presence to Israel’s broader security goals regarding Iran. He says he will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons, regardless of political developments, and that preventing an existential threat is a key objective of Israel’s current conflict posture. One outlet adds that Netanyahu portrays the war as having achieved Israel’s goal of stopping Iran from obtaining an atomic weapon.
The accounts also note that Netanyahu’s statements come amid references to calls for an Israeli withdrawal and to developments involving the United States and Iran. None of the sources provides new operational details beyond Netanyahu’s stated commitment to continued troop presence and military freedom of action.
