Netanyahu hails Lebanon deal as 'hard blow' to Iran and Hezbollah

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that a recently finalized agreement with Lebanon, brokered by the United States, represents a "hard blow" to Iran and Hezbollah. The deal permits Israeli forces to maintain a presence in occupied territory, contingent on the continued existence of a threat, a provision acknowledged by both the Lebanese government and U.S. mediators.

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It deals a hard blow to Iran and Hezbollah. The Lebanese government showed bravery. The United States and Lebanon recognized our right to maintain a security zone as long as there is a threat.

Speaking in a triumphant tone, Netanyahu asserted that Iran's objective to force an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon has been thwarted. He emphasized that Israel, Lebanon, and the U.S. are collectively signaling to Iran that the situation is "none of your business." He explicitly stated that neither Iran, Hezbollah, nor any terrorist group has any "status, participation, or role" in the region.

Netanyahu pointed to specific areas on a digital map from which the Israeli army will withdraw, to be replaced by Lebanese troops. He clarified that one zone is already outside current troop positions, while the other is in an area no longer deemed essential for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to control. The agreement's "Security Annex," details of which remain unpublished, outlines a gradual handover of these "pilot zones" to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) as a precursor to a broader Israeli withdrawal.

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Iran wanted to 'force' an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, but I resisted and now 'Israel, Lebanon and the United States are telling Iran: 'This is none of your business. You have no status, participation or role here. Neither you, nor Hezbollah, nor any terrorist group'.

However, this withdrawal is explicitly conditioned on the "successful disarmament of non-state armed groups and the dismantling of their infrastructure." Furthermore, the agreement reserves the right for both Israel and Lebanon to act in "self-defense" without direct reference to Hezbollah. Netanyahu reiterated Israel's directive to act against perceived threats, even if they are not "immediate" dangers to troops, framing it as both a right and an obligation.

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This is a clear directive. I have said it time and again. If you see a danger, act. It is not only the right to act, but the obligation to do so.

Conversely, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir criticized the agreement as a "grave mistake." The far-right leader, a former convicted Jewish terrorist and settler, argued that the Lebanese government will not disarm Hezbollah. "Only the IDF soldiers will destroy Hezbollah; no one else will do it for us," he stated, underscoring a hardline stance within the Israeli government.

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It is a grave mistake because the Lebanese government will not disarm Hezbollah.