October 19, 2026
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed Tel Aviv’s commitment to maintaining the security belt within Lebanese territory, stressing that the Israeli army will not withdraw from it as long as Hezbollah retains its weapons, and declaring that his country’s ultimate goal is to completely eliminate the party.
In an interview with Israeli Radio North (104.5FM), Netanyahu ruled out his confidence in the Lebanese government’s ability or desire to disarm Hezbollah, noting that the security belt changed the reality of the north and removed villages that formed “strongholds of terrorism.” He added that Israel will continue its military operations against the party whenever necessary, describing it as today “weak and no longer but a shadow of what it was.”
Netanyahu restored the previous military situation, indicating that Hezbollah had 150,000 missiles and shells directed at Israel, amid serious fears of an invasion of the north, thousands of deaths, and the collapse of towers in Tel Aviv. He revealed that he led a military action against this threat despite the opposition of Gadi Eisenkot, who accused him of calling for an agreement with the party’s former Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, and before that with Yahya Sinwar.
The Israeli Prime Minister directed sharp criticism at former Prime Ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, accusing them of surrendering to Nasrallah and giving up an Israeli-sovereign area containing huge potential gas reservoirs, in reference to the maritime border demarcation agreement with Lebanon.
In a related context, Netanyahu linked the future of military operations against Hamas and Hezbollah to the Iranian file, stressing that Israel will continue to work to complete its achievements by crushing what remains of the two movements, stressing at the same time that “the most important goal is to overthrow the regime in Tehran.” He considered that Israel today is stronger than ever in the face of Iran’s weakness, indicating the possibility of completing these goals during the remaining two years of US President Donald Trump’s term, attributing this to the results of the upcoming Israeli elections.
These statements are of great importance, as they directly link the continued Israeli military presence in southern Lebanon to the disarmament of Hezbollah, amid official assurances of the continuation of military operations and the absence of any timetable for withdrawal.
