Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Thursday that the military will maintain an indefinite presence in southern Lebanon and has been granted full freedom of action to counter threats. In remarks carried by multiple regional outlets, he said Israel “will not withdraw” and will stay in what he described as a security zone “as long as necessary” to defend northern Israeli communities. The declaration was accompanied by an assertion that Israel has “changed the rules of the game” in the region and now controls more than 60 percent of the Gaza Strip.

According to Israeli officials, the stance reflects a strategic decision to retain a buffer area inside Lebanese territory regardless of diplomatic pressure. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant was cited separately as saying the military would not leave the security zone even if requested by Washington. Israeli army radio reported that the military has begun reducing its force footprint in south Lebanon, pulling some combat brigades back into Israel for rest and readiness cycles, while planning rotations between the northern and southern fronts. The redeployments, described as part of a broader effort to maintain several brigades at high readiness under General Staff command, suggest a transition to a prolonged, lower-intensity posture rather than a withdrawal.

Viewed from Beirut, the Lebanese government is demanding a clear timetable for an Israeli pullback, according to a US source quoted by Al-Arabiya. The same account indicates that disagreements centre on the extent of the buffer zone and Israel’s insistence on retaining freedom of action. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has previously stated that a ceasefire in Lebanon must entail a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese soil. A memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States, referenced in Iranian media, reportedly calls for an immediate halt to fighting on all fronts, including Lebanon, though its implementation remains uncertain.

Washington’s position appears to be in flux. An Israeli official told the daily Yedioth Ahronoth that Netanyahu had succeeded in convincing US President Donald Trump that Israel should not leave southern Lebanon. The reported understanding comes amid broader US-led efforts to contain regional escalation, including the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which Iranian and American sources have described as central to recent bilateral talks. Netanyahu separately reiterated that Israel will not permit Iran to develop nuclear weapons, saying that pre-emptive action had removed an existential threat. The dossier remains open, with no agreed timeline for an Israeli withdrawal and parallel diplomatic tracks yet to produce a formal accord.