BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has said Israel will respect the ceasefire with Lebanon only if Hezbollah does not violate it, while confirming that Israeli forces will remain in what it calls a “security zone” in southern Lebanon.
TurkicWorld reports that in a post on X, Saar made the comments during a call with New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters. He stated that Israel has “no territorial ambitions in Lebanon,” but will not withdraw from the security zone, arguing that doing so would expose Israeli citizens to attacks and potential incursions by Hezbollah.
Saar also said Lebanon’s sovereignty has long been undermined by what he described as Iran’s “indirect occupation” through Hezbollah. He added that it is in the interest of both Lebanon and Israel for what he called Hezbollah’s “terror structure” to be dismantled.
The remarks highlight continued tensions over the implementation of the ceasefire framework and Israel’s security posture along the Lebanese border, where military activity and political disputes over withdrawal conditions remain unresolved.
