Netanyahu says Israeli army won’t withdraw from occupied territory in Lebanon despite US-Iran agreement

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that the army will not withdraw from territory occupied in southern Lebanon, despite a US-Iran agreement that includes provisions on guaranteeing Lebanon’s sovereignty.

Israel “will restore security to the north,” Netanyahu said in statements carried by the daily Yedioth Ahronoth.

“This requires maintaining the security strip in southern Lebanon, and that requires that we not withdraw as long as Israel’s security needs require it.”

Since March 2, Israel has carried out a large-scale offensive in Lebanon that has killed 3,912 people and injured 11,873 others, while displacing more than one million, according to official Lebanese figures.

Earlier Thursday, the Israeli army published a map showing its occupation of a strip extending up to 10 kilometers inside Lebanese territory, vowing to maintain its presence in what it calls a “security zone” in the south.

According to the map, Israel’s deployment inside southern Lebanon stretches across wide border sectors that include several southern towns, with the depth of the incursion ranging from about 6 to 10 kilometers.

In some western and central areas, the incursion reaches nearly 10 kilometers, with the occupied zone extending northward toward the Litani River in limited sections.

Israel also continues to occupy areas in Lebanon, some held for decades and others seized during the 2023-2024 war.

Netanyahu claimed that the central goal of Israel’s policy is “to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.”

“The battle is not over yet,” he said. “Israel still faces additional challenges.”

Netanyahu’s remarks came despite the first clause of the agreement signed by Tehran and Washington, which calls for an “immediate and permanent cessation of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon,” and pledges to “guarantee Lebanon’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.”

The final agreement is also expected to confirm a permanent end to the war on all fronts, including Lebanon.

On Wednesday evening, US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian electronically signed the “Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding,” which is intended to pave the way for ending the war launched by Washington and Tel Aviv against Iran on Feb. 28.

The Pakistani mediator officially announced that the memorandum had entered into force, with Iran set to begin reopening the Strait of Hormuz to maritime traffic in exchange for the US starting to lift its naval blockade on Tehran.

Switzerland’s Burgenstock resort was expected to host a meeting on Friday with representatives from the US and Iran for preliminary talks on implementing the memorandum.

Pakistan’s state television reported early Thursday that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif postponed his planned trip to Switzerland for a signing ceremony as the deal was already signed and under implementation.