Netanyahu and defense chiefs vow to hold positions in Lebanon and warn Iran

At a combat officers’ graduation ceremony at Bahad 1 on Thursday evening, Israel’s top political and military leadership sent unusually hard-line messages toward Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas, amid the emerging U.S.-Iran deal and regional tensions. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was met by mixed chants of support and protest, said withdrawal from the security zone in southern Lebanon is not on the table. He declared, “We control southern Lebanon from Beaufort Ridge and will remain as long as needed in the security zone in southern Lebanon, we are not going to withdraw from it.”

Netanyahu also vowed that as long as he is prime minister, “Iran will not have nuclear weapons,” saying Israel will not allow Tehran to develop nuclear bombs. He said critics were wrong to claim there were no achievements, referring to “great achievements” in “Operation With the Strength of a Lion” and “Operation Roar of the Lion.” He described foreign pressure to end the war, including a cutoff in ammunition supplies, and said he had told American allies, “If needed, we will fight with our nails.” He added that there were also internal pressures not to enter Rafah, seize the Philadelphi Corridor, or continue farther into Lebanon, Syria and Iran.

Defense Minister Israel Katz took the same line, saying the IDF will remain in security zones in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza “for an unlimited time” to protect Israeli communities from “jihadist” forces. He warned that if Iran attacks Israel because of its actions in Lebanon or for any other reason, Israel will strike back “with full force” to make the power gap clear. Katz also stressed that soldiers’ lives come first and that no operational, political or other consideration justifies unnecessary risk to IDF troops.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir focused on manpower and enlistment, saying the army needs “every soldier and every female soldier, every commander and every female commander.” He called the IDF the “people’s army” and said it must balance the needs of different communities with a common framework. Zamir urged greater unity and said the new generation of commanders was shaped by the trauma of October 7 and the losses of the war, promising to honor the fallen through action.