TEL AVIV: Israel will not withdraw from the security zone it occupies in southern Lebanon, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said during talks with New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters.
According to Saar, Israel will continue to respect the ceasefire agreement with Lebanon as long as Hezbollah does not violate its terms. He stressed that Israel has no territorial ambitions in Lebanon but would not pull back from the security zone if doing so could expose Israeli citizens to attacks or a possible incursion by Hezbollah.
In a post on X, Saar said the security zone remains necessary to protect Israeli communities near the border. He argued that withdrawing from the area would leave civilians vulnerable to threats from Hezbollah.
The Israeli foreign minister also claimed that Lebanon’s sovereignty has been undermined for decades through what he described as Iran’s indirect influence and control in the country via Hezbollah.
Saar added that dismantling what he called Hezbollah’s “terror state” would be in the interests of both Lebanon and Israel.