Netanyahu Vows Israel Will Stay in Southern Lebanon Security Zone, Warns Iran Against Retaliation

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel will not withdraw from its security zone in southern Lebanon, insisting the Israel Defense Forces will remain in key positions for as long as necessary to protect Israeli citizens from Hezbollah and other jihadist threats.

Speaking at a graduation ceremony for IDF officer cadets, Netanyahu said Israel’s recent military operations against Iran had dramatically strengthened the nation’s strategic posture and weakened the confidence of Israel’s enemies.

“The two operations carried out against Iran have achieved tremendous success,” Netanyahu said. “We have eliminated an immediate threat, changed our strategic reality, and broken the wall of fear. Our iron fist has struck everyone who sought to raise a hand against us.”

Netanyahu made clear that Israel’s northern security policy remains unchanged despite ongoing U.S.-mediated talks between Israeli and Lebanese officials in Washington.

“We will not withdraw from the security zone in southern Lebanon,” he said. “We will continue to hold the commanding positions and remain there for as long as necessary to ensure Israel’s security.”

Defense Minister Israel Katz echoed the prime minister’s position, warning Iran not to retaliate against Israel over its military actions in Lebanon or elsewhere.

“I hope Tehran fully understands that if Iran attacks Israel because of our actions in Lebanon, or for any other reason, we will respond with overwhelming force, in a way that leaves no doubt about the disparity between our capabilities,” Katz said.

Katz also rejected pressure for an Israeli pullback from areas currently under IDF control, saying the military would remain in security zones in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza as long as needed.

“The IDF will remain in the security zones in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza for as long as necessary to protect our citizens and our communities from jihadist organizations,” Katz said. “We will make no compromises when it comes to Israel’s paramount security interest: protecting our soldiers and our citizens. We will not withdraw from the security zones.”

The comments came after senior Israeli and Lebanese officials denied reports that Israel had already pulled troops back from part of the buffer zone in southern Lebanon. Reuters cited an unnamed State Department official who claimed Israel had taken “a concrete step” by withdrawing from part of the zone as a gesture toward Lebanon’s government.

According to the official, the proposed “pilot zone” process would see the Lebanese Armed Forces move into selected areas after Israeli forces withdraw, with the goal of clearing Hezbollah weapons and infrastructure and dismantling non-state armed groups.

“The Lebanese Armed Forces should now move in and verifiably clear out terrorist weapons and infrastructure,” the official said, adding that the model could eventually be repeated across southern Lebanon to restore Lebanese sovereignty and allow displaced families to return.

Israeli and Lebanese officials have been meeting in Washington this week to discuss the plan, but Israeli and Lebanese sources reportedly described the latest round of talks as the least productive to date. Both sides have expressed frustration over the U.S. decision to include a Lebanon ceasefire component in last week’s memorandum of understanding with Iran.

Despite the slow progress, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that Israel and Lebanon are close to making a “commitment of intent,” though he did not provide details.

For Israel, the central question remains whether Lebanon’s army can prevent Hezbollah from returning to areas near the Israeli border. Hezbollah’s entrenched military presence in southern Lebanon has long been viewed by Jerusalem as an intolerable threat, especially after years of rocket fire, drone attacks and Iranian-backed weapons buildup along Israel’s northern frontier.

Netanyahu’s remarks signal that Israel is not prepared to trade battlefield leverage for diplomatic assurances unless there is a verifiable mechanism to keep Hezbollah away from the border. In Israel’s view, security zones are not political bargaining chips but defensive necessities born out of hard experience.

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