Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in a Fox News interview on Sunday that some Christian villages in southern Lebanon had “asked to be annexed” to Israel, citing a need for protection from Hezbollah. He did not name the villages or provide public evidence. The mayor of the Christian village of Rmeish, Hanna al-Amil, told Lebanon’s National News Agency that the claim was “completely false” and that even contemplating such an idea was “absolutely out of the question.” A joint statement issued two days earlier by 15 Christian towns had already denied similar reports, reaffirming their “loyalty to their national identity” and “attachment to their Lebanese flag.”

Viewed from Beirut, the denial forms part of a broader insistence on state sovereignty. Lebanese officials stress that no municipality has the legal authority to negotiate a change of sovereignty, and that any such move would require national institutions. The Lebanese army is, according to the government, the sole legitimate force mandated to secure the south. The villages’ statement described the allegations as “fabricated,” and local leaders emphasised that residents remain on their land despite Israeli evacuation orders and repeated shelling. Israeli military authorities, for their part, have warned several Christian-majority villages by telephone not to allow “strangers” – understood as Hezbollah fighters – to enter, framing the warnings as security measures.

According to Israeli statements, the military will maintain its presence in southern Lebanon “as long as necessary” to protect northern Israel. Military chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, visiting troops near Beaufort Castle, said the army would “continue to operate decisively to remove threats from Lebanese territory.” The Israeli presence persists despite a US-brokered agreement between Israel and Lebanon intended to pave the way toward a lasting end to hostilities. Clashes with Hezbollah fighters have continued. The war drew in Lebanon on 2 March when Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes, triggering massive Israeli airstrikes and a ground invasion.

In Washington, the annexation claim surfaced amid reported friction between Netanyahu and President Donald Trump over the deal that halted the war with Iran. Trump told Axios that Netanyahu “knows who the boss is,” while Netanyahu described the relationship as excellent, with differences of opinion discussed openly and usually resolved. The Israeli prime minister is expected to visit Washington in the coming days. The dossier remains open: no verifiable request for annexation has been presented, the ceasefire is fragile, and the Lebanese state continues to demand the withdrawal of foreign forces and the deployment of its army across the entire south.