Netanyahu claims Christian villages in southern Lebanon asked to be annexed by Israel
The Israeli prime minister told Fox News that some Christian communities in southern Lebanon have requested protection from Hezbollah by joining Israel, a claim made as Israeli forces remain in a border security zone.
Annexation claim
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that several Christian villages in southern Lebanon have asked to be annexed by Israel. Speaking on Fox News's "The Sunday Briefing", he framed the request as a search for safety from the Iran-backed Shia group Hezbollah.
Some have actually asked to be annexed to Israel because we protect them from the Hezbollah fanatics who want to kill them. And we do the same thing for Christians everywhere.
Netanyahu did not name the villages or clarify whether the request was public or private. He added that Druze, Sunni Muslims, and some Shia Muslims had also sought protection, expressing hope for more peace agreements.
Military presence and security zone
Israel currently occupies a strip of southern Lebanon near the border, a buffer zone established after the war that erupted earlier this year. Israeli defence minister Israel Katz and foreign minister Gideon Saar have repeatedly stated that Israel has no territorial ambitions in Lebanon, but insist on maintaining positions south of the Litani River and in some enclaves north of it to prevent rocket attacks on northern Israel.
Israel has no territorial ambitions in Lebanon.
The recent agreement between the Lebanese and Israeli governments is not a peace deal, but it legitimises the Israeli military presence until Hezbollah ceases to be a threat, according to the Spanish report.
Broader conflict and ceasefire
The current escalation followed the death of Iranian leader Ali Khamenei in a joint US-Israeli attack on 28 February. Hezbollah retaliated with missile barrages, prompting a large-scale Israeli air and ground offensive in southern Lebanon and around Beirut. More than a million people were displaced and thousands of casualties reported since March.
- Iranian leader Ali Khamenei killed in joint US-Israeli attack.
- Hezbollah retaliates with missile fire; Israel launches large-scale offensive in southern Lebanon.
- US-Iran ceasefire signed, but Israeli strikes continue citing Hezbollah non-compliance.
- Netanyahu claims Christian villages in southern Lebanon asked for annexation.
A ceasefire between the United States and Iran was signed in early June, but Israeli strikes have continued, with Tel Aviv arguing that Hezbollah is not complying with the truce and still operates in prohibited zones. Defence minister Katz recently warned that troops will remain in the security areas indefinitely.
US political concerns
In the same interview, Netanyahu voiced unease about anti-Israel sentiment within the US Democratic Party.
I am concerned that there are anti-Israel elements in the Democratic Party. I am concerned, and if we can do something, I will. Those who hate Israel end up hating the United States.
He did not elaborate on specific actions, but the remark adds a diplomatic dimension to the already tense regional picture.
