Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said some Christian villages in southern Lebanon have asked to be annexed to Israel, seeking protection from what he called 'Hezbollah fanatics who want to kill them.' He stated that Israel's military presence in the area is intended to defend border communities. Netanyahu did not name the villages or specify when the requests were made.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's comments, reported Monday by The Zioneer, are the first public acknowledgment from the premier that Christian villages in southern Lebanon have sought annexation to Israel. The Zioneer previously reported on July 2 that Christian leaders in the area had requested annexation but were told it was not on the agenda due to international commitments. Netanyahu described the villagers as seeking protection from 'Hezbollah fanatics who want to kill them,' and said Israel's military presence in southern Lebanon is intended to defend border communities. He did not name the villages or specify when the requests were made. The remarks align with Israel's broader security policy in southern Lebanon, where the IDF maintains a buffer zone against Hezbollah, as reported in previous The Zioneer bulletins.
3 developments
- ConfirmedChristian leaders in southern Lebanon request annexation to Israel
- ConfirmedNetanyahu addresses Lebanese people: 'Israel is not at war with you, but with Hezbollah'
- DevelopingNetanyahu says Lebanon combatant-to-civilian casualty ratio is 5:1, unprecedented
- StrongPM convenes security cabinet after Trump proposal for Syria to handle Hezbollah
Source and signal
- Internal intake