{"id":504619,"date":"2026-06-21T23:42:14","date_gmt":"2026-06-21T23:42:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/504619\/"},"modified":"2026-06-21T23:42:14","modified_gmt":"2026-06-21T23:42:14","slug":"netanyahu-vows-to-maintain-idf-presence-in-lebanon-even-as-issue-rocks-us-iran-talks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/504619\/","title":{"rendered":"Netanyahu vows to maintain IDF presence in Lebanon even as issue rocks US-Iran talks"},"content":{"rendered":"

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday vowed to keep Israeli troops in the south Lebanon security zone \u201cfor as long as necessary\u201d to protect northern Israel from Hezbollah, as the issue threatened to derail talks between the US and Iran, which began<\/a> in Switzerland earlier in the day.<\/p>\n

Israel and Hezbollah traded heavy fire over the weekend, killing several IDF soldiers<\/a> and dozens of Lebanese<\/a>, though the fighting halted midday Saturday after Israel\u2019s political leadership instructed the IDF to \u201chold its fire,\u201d reportedly under heavy pressure from the US, which feared the collapse of the Iran talks.<\/p>\n

Israel and Lebanon, meanwhile, are set to hold another round of direct talks in Washington on Tuesday, with the IDF reportedly pushing for intensified negotiations in fear that the US-Iran talks could effectively hamper its ability to act against Hezbollah.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have achieved tremendous accomplishments, and we will not relinquish them,\u201d the premier said in a Hebrew-language statement Sunday afternoon.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will remain in the security zone in southern Lebanon for as long as necessary, in order to protect the dear residents of the north and all the citizens of Israel [from Hezbollah attacks],\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

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\u201cAs prime minister of Israel, I insist on this unequivocally, and nothing will change it,\u201d Netanyahu said, alluding to his conflict with US President Donald Trump over Israel\u2019s fight against the Iran-backed terror group as Washington looks to sign a comprehensive agreement to end hostilities with Tehran.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at a memorial event in Jerusalem, June 21, 2026 (Roy Avraham\/GPO)<\/p>\n

\u201cAs long as we need to protect our people, we will remain in the security zone in South Lebanon,\u201d he reiterated at an address later Sunday, saying: \u201cThe reason is perfectly understood. No country would be asked to do otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat would America do?\u201d he asked rhetorically. \u201cWould it say, \u2018Well, there\u2019s nothing we can do? Let\u2019s hold our fire\u2019? Is that what America would say? No! You know damn well what America would do. It would cross the border, create a security zone, kill the terrorists, and protect its people until the threat is removed. That\u2019s exactly what we are doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Netanyahu\u2019s comments were preceded by a similar statement from IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, who said Sunday that the military\u2019s objective in southern Lebanon remained \u201cclear and unchanged \u2014 defending the northern communities and the citizens of Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tIDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir meets with officers in southern Lebanon, June 21, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are directing all of our efforts to that end. The activity in the Ali Taher and Beaufort areas is also intended to serve this purpose,\u201d he said during a visit to southern Lebanon Sunday, in remarks published by the army.<\/p>\n

Zamir claimed that Hezbollah is in a \u201cvery difficult situation\u201d after several midlevel commanders in the terror group were killed in the past two days.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe ceasefire that has been declared is fragile, and we must remain at a high level of readiness for the renewal of combat operations, the thwarting of threats, and a rapid transition to offensive action if required. All IDF resources are allocated to this,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Defense Minister Israel Katz said soldiers operating in southern Lebanon have \u201cno restrictions\u201d in eliminating threats to the forces, and that \u201call of the IDF\u2019s achievements in the campaign in Lebanon are being maintained,\u201d alluding to the ongoing presence in the security zone.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe ceasefire announced yesterday leaves the IDF in all positions within the security zone that protects the northern communities,\u201d he said, adding that the IDF \u201cwill not withdraw from the security zone in Lebanon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tSmoke rises from an Israeli airstrike on Majdal Zoun on October 24, 2024. (AP\/Mohammed Zaatari)<\/p>\n

As the new truce appeared to hold, the IDF Home Front Command said Sunday that it would soon be lifting all restrictions on communities near the Lebanon border.<\/p>\n

Gatherings had been restricted in northern border communities to 100 people outdoors and 400 indoors. Following a fresh assessment, the Home Front Command said that from 6 a.m. Monday, the restrictions would be lifted.<\/p>\n

Hezbollah has not carried out attacks on Israeli territory since last Sunday; however, it has continued to target troops in southern Lebanon.<\/p>\n

Hezbollah, Iran say IDF deployment violates MOU<\/p>\n

After the statements from the Israeli officials, Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem released his own statement in a televised address, rejecting Israel\u2019s security zone outright.<\/p>\n

Israeli troops \u201cremaining on Lebanese land is impossible,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are no security zones for Israel\u2026 we have a national army that deploys, and it is responsible for preserving sovereignty, and it is who we cooperate with,\u201d Qassem said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIsrael is an aggressor and must leave,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Earlier Sunday, Iran\u2019s semi-official news agency Tasnim reported that Tehran would suspend all negotiations with the US if Israel does not withdraw from south Lebanon.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tMourners carry the Hezbollah flag-draped bodies of four who were killed the previous day following Israeli strikes on the village of Qannarit, south of Sidon in southern Lebanon, during the funeral in the village on June 21, 2026. (MAHMOUD ZAYYAT \/ AFP) \/<\/p>\n

The agency said it has \u201clearned\u201d that if Article 1 in the temporary deal with Washington is not met, \u201cnamely, ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, and ensuring Lebanon\u2019s sovereignty and territorial integrity,\u201d talks will be halted.<\/p>\n

Without implementation of Article 1, \u201cnegotiations are fundamentally meaningless,\u201d Tasnim said.<\/p>\n

Israel said to mull \u2018small\u2019 pullout as IDF pushes for intensified talks<\/p>\n

Amid the back and forth over Israel\u2019s deployment in southern Lebanon, Channel 12 reported Sunday evening, citing senior officials, that Israel was considering \u201csmall withdrawals\u201d from some areas it currently holds, including the Beaufort ridge area, which the IDF captured last month.<\/p>\n

According to the report, consultations between the political and defense establishment were held on the topic late Saturday and into Sunday, with officials discussing the possibility that the US would request a troop withdrawal from south Lebanon.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo withdrawal request has been received from the Americans,\u201d an official told Channel 12, insisting that Israel would not fully pull out of Lebanon and adding: \u201cThe yellow line is a red line,\u201d in reference to the official line of IDF deployment, which troops have since pushed past in several areas.<\/p>\n

Additionally, the outlet reported that the IDF has been urging Israel\u2019s political echelon to intensify negotiations with the Lebanese government amid fears that ongoing US-Iran talks will hamper its offensive against Hezbollah.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tAn Israeli soldier is seen in a Humvee during a drive in southern Lebanon, on June 18, 2026. (Emanuel Fabian\/ Times of Israel)<\/p>\n

Since Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding last week, kickstarting negotiations toward a final deal, Iran has been insisting that Israel halt its military operation in Lebanon as a precondition for talks.<\/p>\n

A senior security official told the outlet that \u201canother attempt\u201d by Israel to \u201cseparate between the theaters [Iran and Lebanon] will worsen our situation with the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to be cautious about our moves in Lebanon so that it doesn\u2019t get us in trouble,\u201d the source said.<\/p>\n

According to the report, the IDF is currently insisting on two specific aims in Lebanon: preserving a buffer zone in the country\u2019s south and succeeding in destroying a major underground Hezbollah facility underneath the Ali Taher ridge, near Nabatieh.<\/p>\n

At the same time, the army is urging the government to raise the level of its delegation in Washington and speed up talks with the Lebanese government, the report said.<\/p>\n

The goal of these intensified negotiations would be to isolate Hezbollah and reach a potential agreement with Beirut on its own terms, rather than face the prospect of American pressure to act in accordance with Iranian demands, it added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday vowed to keep Israeli troops in the south Lebanon security zone \u201cfor…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":504620,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[190560,229277,49,2464,42,86,191024,87,2723,71283,43,40,38,41,39],"class_list":["post-504619","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-2026-israel-hezbollah-conflict","tag-2026-us-iran-memorandum-of-understanding","tag-benjamin-netanyahu","tag-eyal-zamir","tag-headlines","tag-hezbollah","tag-idf-israel-defense-forces","tag-iran","tag-israel-katz","tag-naim-qassem","tag-news","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/504619","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=504619"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/504619\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/504620"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=504619"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=504619"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=504619"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}