PRIME Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue Israel’s occupations of Lebanese and Syrian territory, despite the announcement of a ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran that links to those hostilities.
Netanyahu told a press conference on Monday that Israel’s forces will remain in Lebanon, where it occupies around 570sq km (220sq miles) of territory. Israel’s conflict with the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, has killed more than 3,000 people.
“We will stay in the Lebanon security buffer zone for as long as necessary,” Netanyahu told reporters.
According to unconfirmed details, Lebanon will be covered in the deal due to be signed by Iran and the US on Friday, and Netanyahu’s comments will likely add pressure to the already fragile ceasefire agreement.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shebaz Sharif, who announced the deal on Sunday, said a memorandum of understanding would include “the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon”.
Israel has been involved in a war with Hezbollah since October 2023 and launched cross-border raids in October 2024. This later developed into a full-scale invasion of Lebanon, and Israel now occupies territory beyond the Litani River that runs across southern Lebanon – the official end point of Israel’s self-declared “security zone”.
Despite this, Netanyahu said that Israel would continue to target “Iran’s terror arms” and “will need to continue to stand guard” against Iran.
On Sunday, Israel launched a strike on Beirut’s suburbs, killing three people – an attack perceived as crossing one of Iran’s red lines concerning the deal with the US.
The strike reportedly angered US President Donald Trump, who was worried that it could disrupt progress towards the ceasefire. But despite threats of retaliation by Tehran, the memorandum of understanding linked to the agreement was signed on Sunday night.
Netanyahu has clashed with Trump behind closed doors, according to reports, as he faces criticism from the Israeli opposition and right wing for failing to prevent the US-Iran deal from emerging.
Hardline Israelis worry that an end to the war with Iran will force the end of the country’s invasions of Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza, where Israel occupies around 1,000sq km (386sq miles) of territory.
During the press conference, Netanyahu said he does not always “see eye to eye” with Trump and claimed that Israel’s war with Iran was an overall win for the country.
“Many times we see eye to eye, and there are also cases in which we see less eye to eye. I am responsible for Israel’s security interests. I stand up for them,” he said, according to The Jerusalem Post.
“Iran will never have nuclear weapons, not today and not tomorrow… We beheaded the leaders of the terror regime, we crushed the terror factories.”
Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz vowed earlier on Monday that Israel will not withdraw from territory it has occupied since 2023.
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I are pursuing a clear policy of maintaining the Israeli army in the security zones in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza, without setting a time limit, in order to protect Israel’s borders and towns from terror elements,” he said. “We oppose the withdrawal of the Israeli army from Lebanon, despite all current and future pressures.”