Netanyahu says Israeli forces will continue operations against threats in southern Lebanon

4 min readJun 23, 2026 10:37 AM IST

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Israel Katz, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo held a telephonic conversation and, in a joint statement, reiterated that the IDF will continue acting decisively “against threats” in Lebanon.

“The IDF will continue to act decisively to thwart threats to our soldiers and civilians, destroy terror infrastructure, and continue maintaining the security zone in southern Lebanon,” Netanyahu, Katz, and Zamir said in a joint statement.

“The Prime Minister, the Minister of Defence, and the Chief of the General Staff made it clear that the security of Israeli citizens and IDF forces will remain their guiding principle without compromise,” the statement added.

Joint statement by the Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and the Chief of the General Staff:
A short while ago, a discussion took place between the Prime Minister, the Minister of Defense, the Chief of the General Staff, and the Commander of the Northern Command.

The IDF will…

— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) June 22, 2026

Earlier, Netanyahu shared a video on his official X handle where he stated the Israeli military has full freedom of action against threats in southern Lebanon.

He further reaffirmed that Israeli forces will remain in the security zone for as long as necessary to safeguard themselves or the residents of the north from any “direct or emerging threat”.

“My directive, along with that of the Minister of Defense, to the IDF is clear and has not changed: Our fighters in southern Lebanon have full freedom of action to thwart any direct or emerging threat against them or against the residents of the north. The IDF has no restrictions in this matter. I stand behind them, the entire nation stands behind them,” he said in Hebrew.

ההנחיה שלי ושל שר הביטחון לצה״ל היא ברורה והיא לא השתנתה:

ללוחמים שלנו בדרום לבנון יש חופש פעולה מלא לסכל כל איום ישיר או מתהווה עליהם או על תושבי הצפון. אין לצה״ל שום הגבלה בעניין זה.

אני עומד מאחוריהם, העם כולו עומד מאחוריהם.

אני עומד איתן על כך שנישאר ברצועת הביטחון בדרום… pic.twitter.com/tbSZG3VwMr

— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) June 22, 2026

“I stand firm on the fact that we will remain in the security zone in southern Lebanon for as long as is required to protect the residents of the north and all the citizens of the state,” the Israeli PM added.

Israel-Lebanon talks in Washington to begin with joint political-military session

The next round of Israel-Lebanon talks, expected to begin on Tuesday in Washington, will include joint political and military sessions as the United States aims to make significant progress on a “comprehensive peace and security agreement,” a State Department official said, according to CNN.

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The talks will begin on Tuesday and will conclude on Thursday at the State Department and the Pentagon.

Israel and Lebanon will be represented by their ambassadors in Washington, while the US will be represented by State Department Counsellor Dan Holler and Assistant Secretary of Defence for International Security Affairs Dan Zimmerman.

“Our shared goal is to end the cycle of violence for good,” CNN quoted a US official as saying. “We are enabling Israel and Lebanon to negotiate as two sovereign states and to find a way to have peace and security.”

“The talks will continue to advance a comprehensive peace and security agreement between the two countries,” the official said.

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