Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will remain in the security zone in southern Lebanon for as long as necessary to protect residents of the north and the country’s civilians. He made the remarks at a ceremony marking 50 years since the death of his brother, Yoni Netanyahu, in the Entebbe operation.
Netanyahu stressed that this position was nonnegotiable. “As Prime Minister of Israel, I insist on this firmly, and nothing will change that,” he said.
The statement linked Israel’s current posture in southern Lebanon to its stated security needs along the northern border, with Netanyahu presenting the presence there as a measure to defend Israeli civilians.