Sa'ar Says Hezbollah, Backed by Iran, Started the Latest War Against Israel

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said on Wednesday that Hezbollah, under Iranian direction, launched the current fighting and that Israel and Lebanon share a common enemy. He made the remarks at the international session of the MUNI EXPO conference in Tel Aviv, speaking to governors and mayors from around the world.

Sa'ar said recent Israeli-Lebanese talks, held with U.S. mediation, show that the two countries have no real dispute beyond a few border points that he said can be resolved quickly. “We are talking after another round of historic talks between us and Lebanon taking place under American mediation,” he said. “We have no real argument with the Lebanese government beyond some border points that can be solved in a short negotiation.”

He argued that Hezbollah is undermining Lebanon’s future, sovereignty and independence, while also threatening Israel’s security. Sa'ar said international coverage does not sufficiently note that Hezbollah initiated the latest confrontation. “Very few mention the fact that Hezbollah started this war on March 2, after receiving instructions from Tehran,” he said, adding that this was similar to how Hezbollah began fighting on October 8, 2023, one day after Hamas attacked Israel.

Sa'ar also said that since March, Hezbollah has fired more than 7,000 rockets, missiles and drones from Lebanon into Israel. He challenged listeners to imagine their own cities under such attack and asked what country could accept that without acting to restore security to its citizens. The comments came as Israel and Lebanon continue U.S.-brokered contacts focused on border issues and on strengthening Lebanese sovereignty against Hezbollah.