Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday evening that Israel is creating a security buffer zone in southern Lebanon to prevent Hezbollah attacks, and vowed to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, calling it an existential threat. He spoke at the Local Government Authority conference, according to Al Jazeera.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his commitment to a security buffer zone in southern Lebanon and to blocking Iran's nuclear program, speaking at the Local Government Authority conference Wednesday evening. Quoted by Al Jazeera, Netanyahu said Israel is 'establishing a security zone — a buffer area — in southern Lebanon to prevent Hezbollah from carrying out attacks against us,' adding: 'There are still things we need to do in Lebanon.'
On Iran, Netanyahu stated: 'We have carried out many operations in Iran and we are acting to prevent it from obtaining nuclear weapons. Iran obtaining nuclear weapons constitutes an existential threat to us, and we will prevent it.' The remarks come amid an ongoing public campaign by the prime minister on these two fronts, as The Zioneer has reported in multiple bulletins over recent weeks — including a Sunday speech at the JNS Summit in which he vowed Iran would not get nuclear weapons under his watch, and previous statements on maintaining the Lebanon buffer zone 'as long as necessary.' Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem, in an Ashura address on June 17, rejected any Israeli-controlled zones in southern Lebanon, calling the confrontation existential.
The Wednesday statement adds no new operational specifics but reinforces the government's standing policy as articulated repeatedly since early June. No further details were provided on the timeline or scope of the security zone.
- DevelopingNetanyahu declares Israel will hold security zones in Gaza, Syria, Lebanon as long as needed
- ConfirmedNetanyahu: Israel will stay in security buffer zones as long as needed to defend itself
- StrongNetanyahu at brother's memorial: We'll stay in Lebanon buffer zone as long as needed
- StrongNetanyahu at JNS Summit: Iran will not get nuclear weapons as long as I'm PM
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