Prime Minister Netanyahu sent a message to U.S. President Trump on Thursday, saying Israel will not withdraw from the security zone in southern Lebanon "as long as Israel's security needs require it," according to Amit Segal (N12). The message reaffirms Netanyahu's previously stated position and comes amid reported U.S. pressure for an Israeli pullout as part of evolving regional understandings with Iran.
Prime Minister Netanyahu sent a direct message to U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday, stating that Israel will not withdraw from the security zone in southern Lebanon "as long as Israel's security needs require it," as reported by Amit Segal of N12. The message, conveyed in Hebrew, formalizes a position Netanyahu has been stating publicly since earlier Thursday.
Netanyahu first stated the position publicly at 16:06 Jerusalem, during a Highway 60 dedication ceremony, saying restoring security to the north requires maintaining the zone and that Israel would not withdraw as long as its security demands it. He then emphasized that maintaining ties with the U.S. is important while reiterating the no-withdrawal stance. The thread reported earlier Thursday that an Israeli official said Netanyahu told Trump directly that Israel would not withdraw from Lebanon or abandon northern residents. The Zioneer reported on Monday that Defense Minister Katz said Netanyahu had communicated the same position to Trump, and on Sunday that Netanyahu had told Trump Israel is not bound by the Lebanon clause in the U.S.-Iran deal.
As The Zioneer reported this week, Israeli officials have assessed that Trump's pressure on Netanyahu over the south Lebanon withdrawal will persist after the Iran MOU, potentially leading to practical U.S. steps from delayed weapons shipments to an arms embargo. The security zone in southern Lebanon was established after the 2024 ceasefire that ended intense fighting with Hezbollah.
The new N12 report adds that the message was formally delivered to Trump but provides no detail on Trump's response or on any U.S. reaction.
4 developments
- DevelopingNetanyahu tells Trump Israel won't withdraw from Lebanon, abandon north
- StrongKatz: Netanyahu told Trump Israel won't withdraw from Lebanon, Syria, Gaza security zones
- StrongIsraeli fears: Trump pressure on Netanyahu over south Lebanon withdrawal to persist after Iran MOU
- DevelopingTrump presses Netanyahu to withdraw from Lebanon by Friday
Source and signal
- Internal intake