Defying US-Iran Deal, Netanyahu Vows Israel Will Stay In Lebanon ‘As Long As Necessary’

Last Updated:June 19, 2026, 17:07 IST

The Israeli leader also vowed that Hezbollah would pay a “heavy price” for the deaths of the four soldiers in the latest attack.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (AFP)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday said that its forces will remain in Lebanon “as long as necessary”, despite a key provision in the US-Iran peace deal calling for an immediate and permanent halt to military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon.

Netanyahu made the remarks after holding security consultations with Defence Minister Israel Katz and military chief Eyal Zamir following an attack that killed four Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon.

“Israel will remain in the security zone in southern Lebanon for as long as necessary for the protection of the communities of the north,” he said in a statement, which he also shared on X.

The Israeli leader also vowed that Hezbollah would pay a “heavy price” for the deaths of the soldiers. “Israel will not tolerate attacks on our soldiers or our territory, and it will exact a very heavy price from Hezbollah for these attacks,” Netanyahu said.

Fighting escalates in Lebanon

The Israeli prime minister latest comments come as fighting intensified in Lebanon on Friday. The violence is the worst since the sealing of a US-Iran deal to halt the wider war in West Asia, which was supposed to also pause the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Lebanese authorities said at least 18 people were killed and 33 wounded in Israeli air strikes across southern Lebanon, while Israel said it had struck more than 80 Hezbollah-linked targets.

(With inputs from agencies)

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