Netanyahu says Israeli troops will stay in southern Lebanon security zone

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israeli troops would remain inside a self-declared security zone in southern Lebanon for as long as Israel considered the deployment necessary to protect communities near the border. His statement comes at a time when Iran and the United States are holding talks in Switzerland as a result of Islamabad MoU facilitated by Pakistan to establish peace between both countries.

Speaking at a conference in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said the military presence was intended to prevent threats from reaching northern Israel, signalling that his government does not plan an immediate withdrawal from territory seized during the recent fighting with Hezbollah.

Israel has established the zone several kilometres inside Lebanese territory, arguing that it is needed to keep Hezbollah fighters and weapons away from Israeli border towns. Israeli officials have said troops operating there retain the authority to respond to what they describe as immediate threats.

Netanyahu’s remarks come days after Israel and Hezbollah agreed to halt hostilities under a ceasefire that was meant to reduce fighting in Lebanon and support wider diplomatic efforts involving the US and Iran. The truce has remained fragile, however, after renewed exchanges of fire and Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon over the weekend.

Hezbollah has said it will respond to any Israeli breach of the ceasefire and has rejected the continued deployment of Israeli troops on Lebanese territory. The group maintains that any durable agreement must include an end to Israeli military operations and a withdrawal from southern Lebanon. Lebanese officials have also called for Israel to leave the area, warning that a prolonged military presence would undermine efforts to stabilise the border and allow displaced residents to return to their homes.

The dispute over the security zone has emerged as one of the main obstacles to consolidating the ceasefire. While Israel says the deployment is necessary to protect its northern communities, Lebanon and Hezbollah view it as an ongoing occupation and a violation of Lebanese sovereignty.

Netanyahu did not set a timetable for a withdrawal, making clear that Israel would determine the duration of the deployment according to its own security assessment.