Netanyahu vows to keep troops in Lebanon as long as armed Hezbollah remains

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed Tuesday that Israel will not withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon as long as Hezbollah continues to pose a threat.

Visiting an Israeli military post in southern Lebanon that day, Netanyahu warned both Iran and Hezbollah to leave the area. "We are telling Iran and Hezbollah: 'Leave here — you have no reason to be here,'" he said, calling the message "a powerful blow to the face of the Iran-led 'axis of resistance.'"

He went on to say that Israel would not leave southern Lebanon "until the threat is completely eliminated," adding, "As long as an armed Hezbollah remains here and threatens us, we will remain here as well."

Netanyahu also described Hezbollah as the most critical link in the Iran-led axis of resistance and cited recent military gains. He said a series of recent battles had reduced Hezbollah's original stockpile of 150,000 missiles and rockets to just 8 percent, and that 9,000 Hezbollah fighters had been killed.

He urged troops to act without hesitation. "If you sense a threat to the lives and safety of you and your subordinates, act immediately. Do not wait — act. This is an iron rule," he said.

Netanyahu was accompanied on the visit to the southern Lebanon security zone by Defense Minister Israel Katz, Israeli military Deputy Chief of Staff Tamir Yadai, National Security Council Chairman Shmuel Ben Ezra and military secretary Guy Markizano.

The visit came just days after Israel and Lebanon agreed, under US mediation, to a framework deal centered on the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces tied to the verified disarmament of Hezbollah.

Israel agreed to the framework under US pressure to advance negotiations toward an end to the war with Iran, but has repeatedly signaled its readiness to resume full-scale fighting if Hezbollah's threat persists. Hezbollah, for its part, has said it opposes the framework deal, which aims to disarm the group.