Netanyahu from southern Lebanon: 'We stay as long as Hezbollah threatens us'; 9,000 operatives eliminated

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz conducted a high-level tour of IDF positions inside southern Lebanon on Tuesday evening. Accompanied by Deputy Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Tamir Yedai and Northern Command head Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo, the leadership received operational briefings from the 91st Division and various brigade commanders currently holding the sector. During the visit, Netanyahu was presented with a display of counter-drone munitions and innovative weaponry designed for the current theater.

Degrading the Iranian Axis

Addressing the troops, Netanyahu provided a strategic assessment of the campaign against Hezbollah. He stated that the terror organization, which entered the conflict with approximately 150,000 rockets and missiles—the densest concentration of such weaponry on earth—has seen its arsenal reduced to roughly 8% of its pre-war capacity. He further reported that the IDF has eliminated approximately 9,000 Hezbollah operatives, including hundreds in recent weeks. Netanyahu framed these achievements as part of a broader effort to dismantle the Iranian-led axis, noting that Israel's willingness to strike directly in Iran has removed existential threats.

The Buffer Zone Doctrine

The Prime Minister emphasized that the establishment of security zones on the enemy's side of the border—both in Lebanon and Gaza—represents a fundamental shift in Israel's defense posture. "We do not allow a terrorist army to sit on our border," Netanyahu told the troops, confirming that the IDF is systematically destroying all above-ground and underground infrastructure that served as offensive means. He issued a clear instruction to the forces in the field: "If you identify a threat to your security, to your lives—act. Don't wait. This is an iron directive."

Strategic Outlook

Netanyahu clarified that the Israeli presence in southern Lebanon will continue as long as a tangible threat remains. He suggested that the current operational reality serves as leverage, noting that Lebanon recognizes Israel and that the demand for the removal of Iranian and Hezbollah forces is a "slap in the face" to the Iranian axis. "We are not leaving southern Lebanon until the threat is nullified," Netanyahu concluded, emphasizing that as long as a persistent, armed Hezbollah presence threatens the north, the IDF will remain in place.