Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has stated that ongoing negotiations between the United States and Iran do not concern Israel, reaffirming that his country will resolutely continue its military operations in Lebanon.
According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, citing foreign media reports, Smotrich emphasized that the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not withdraw from the southern regions of Lebanon currently under Israeli control.
According to the minister, as long as Hezbollah continues its activities, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the security zone in Lebanon, including the Shakif hill, is not possible.
Smotrich stressed the necessity of completely dismantling Hezbollah, asserting that the organization must not be part of the Lebanese government, nor should it possess any military capabilities that could threaten Israel. He noted that only after these conditions are met can new security mechanisms be discussed.
The Israeli minister added that disarming Hezbollah is insufficient; the organization must also be stripped of its political influence in Lebanon. In his view, as long as Hezbollah continues to pose a threat to Israel's northern regions, a withdrawal from Lebanon remains off the table.
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has significantly escalated tensions in the Middle East. Hezbollah, a powerful militant group based in Lebanon, has been a long-standing adversary of Israel, with frequent cross-border skirmishes. The current Israeli military strategy aims to establish a buffer zone to protect its northern communities from rocket fire and ground incursions, a goal that remains central to the Netanyahu administration's security policy.
