Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on the occasion of the inauguration of Route 60 in Gush Etzion that Israel will keep its security zone in southern Lebanon for as long as its security needs require it. He said the government would continue to act “wisely and with judgment,” and that leaving the area is not on the table while Israel’s security demands remain in place.
Netanyahu also reiterated Israel’s broader strategic goal regarding Iran. He said the country would continue to adhere to its “supreme objective,” which he defined as preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
The remarks were delivered as part of the Route 60 opening ceremony in the Gush Etzion area, linking the message on Lebanon to Netanyahu’s wider national-security agenda.