Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said Monday that Israel's goal is to achieve peace and normalization with Lebanon, conditioned on security along the border. Speaking at the Knesset's parliamentary caucus for Israel-Lebanon peace, Sa'ar said the path to peace requires ending what he termed 'the Iranian occupation of Lebanon through Hezbollah,' as reported by i24NEWS.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar reiterated Israel's openness to a peace agreement with Lebanon during a Monday address to the Knesset's parliamentary caucus for promoting peace and normalization between Israel and Lebanon. Sa'ar conditioned any agreement on securing Israel's border and the safety of its citizens, calling for an end to what he described as 'the Iranian occupation of Lebanon through Hezbollah.'
The remarks come as part of a broader diplomatic push discussed in recent weeks. As The Zioneer has reported, Prime Minister Netanyahu and senior defense officials have publicly affirmed that the IDF will maintain a security zone in southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah has welcomed the existing ceasefire and Lebanon's prime minister has pressed for an Israeli withdrawal. President Herzog and EU chief von der Leyen have also spoken of the need for a stable Lebanon free from Iranian-backed armed groups. Sa'ar's statement is one of the most explicit cabinet-level endorsements of a long-term normalization track, tying it directly to the dismantling of Hezbollah's military control.
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- DevelopingIsrael seeks to fast-track Lebanon agreement before full US-Iran deal is finalized
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