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Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has conveyed to his New Zealand counterpart, Winston Peters, that Israel intends to uphold the ceasefire in Lebanon, provided that Hezbollah does not violate the terms of the agreement.
Regarding the territories currently held by Israel in southern Lebanon, Saar stated in a post on X: "We don't have territorial ambitions in Lebanon, but we will not withdraw from the security zone and expose our citizens to Hezbollah's attacks and possible invasion." https://x.com/gidonsaar/status/2068952254657273988?s=20 Saar further argued that Lebanon has suffered from a long-standing erosion of its sovereignty, which he attributed to what he termed Iran's "indirect occupation" via Hezbollah. Emphasising the strategic necessity of the current military stance, he added: "It's in the interest of both Lebanon and Israel that Hezbollah's terror state be dismantled." Echoing this stance, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed on Sunday that Israeli forces would remain in the southern Lebanon security zone for as long as necessary to protect the nation's citizens. Speaking at the Jerusalem News Syndicate's International Policy Summit 2026, the Prime Minister clarified that the conflict is directed at Hezbollah rather than the Lebanese state, noting, "We don't have a war with Lebanon. We have a war with Hezbollah, which terrorises Lebanon and seeks our destruction." He expressed that, once the Iran-backed group is disarmed or dismantled, Israel would welcome the prospect of peace with Lebanon. Netanyahu also highlighted the progress of joint operations against Iran, stating that Israel, alongside American military support, had conducted the largest air strike in its history to neutralise existential threats. "We destroyed Iran's nuclear infrastructure," he asserted, adding that these efforts effectively "shattered Iran's terror axis". Regarding ongoing diplomatic efforts, including US-Iran technical talks in Switzerland concerning a 14-point memorandum of understanding, Netanyahu maintained that Israel's objective remains firm. "I pledge to you that Iran, as long as I am Prime Minister of Israel, will never have a nuclear weapon," he stated. These remarks were echoed earlier at a memorial gathering for his brother, Yoni Netanyahu, where the Prime Minister reiterated that Israel will remain unyielding in its commitment to preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weaponry while maintaining persistent military pressure against its proxy in southern Lebanon. (ANI)
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