Netanyahu says Israel won’t leave occupied land in Lebanon

Key Points:

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to maintain Israel's military presence in occupied Lebanese and Syrian territories despite a US-Iran ceasefire agreement aimed at ending hostilities linked to these regions.
• Netanyahu emphasized that Israeli forces will remain in the Lebanon security buffer zone indefinitely to counter threats from Iran-backed Hezbollah, which has been involved in a deadly conflict with Israel since October 2023.
• The ceasefire memorandum, announced by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shebaz Sharif, reportedly includes the cessation of military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, but Netanyahu's stance threatens to undermine this fragile agreement.
• Israel recently conducted a strike in Beirut’s suburbs, killing three people and provoking concerns from US President Donald Trump about jeopardizing the ceasefire progress, although the memorandum was still signed.
• Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz reinforced the commitment to hold occupied territories in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza without a withdrawal timeline, citing the need to protect Israeli borders from jihadist threats.