Netanyahu says Israeli forces will remain in occupied areas of Lebanon, Syria despite US-Iran ceasefire

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has signalled that the country's military presence in Lebanese and Syrian territory will continue, despite the newly announced ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran, which is linked to hostilities across the region.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Netanyahu said Israeli troops would remain in Lebanon, where Israel currently occupies around 570sq km (220sq miles) of territory. The development comes amid ongoing tensions involving Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese armed group.

Addressing a press conference, Netanyahu said, “We will stay in the Lebanon security buffer zone for as long as necessary."

The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese armed group, has resulted in more than 3,000 deaths, according to available figures, cited by Al Jazeera.

Lebanon included in ceasefire framework

The remarks came as details emerged about the agreement announced by Pakistan Prime Minister Shebaz Sharif, who said the understanding between Washington and Tehran includes provisions covering Lebanon.

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Announcing the deal on Sunday, Shebaz Sharif said the memorandum of understanding would include “the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon”.

Netanyahu's comments are likely to place further strain on the already fragile ceasefire framework.

Israel has been engaged in conflict with Hezbollah since October 2023 and launched cross-border raids in October 2024.

The fighting later expanded into a full-scale invasion of Lebanon, with Israel now controlling territory beyond the Litani River in southern Lebanon, which marks the official boundary of Israel's self-declared "security zone".

Despite the ceasefire developments, Netanyahu said Israel would continue targeting “Iran’s terror arms” and “will need to continue to stand guard” against Iran.

Beirut strike and tensions with Trump

On Sunday, Israel carried out a strike on Beirut's suburbs that killed three people. The attack was widely viewed as crossing one of Iran's red lines linked to the agreement with the US.

The strike reportedly angered US President Donald Trump, who feared it could undermine progress towards the ceasefire. However, despite warnings of retaliation from Tehran, the memorandum of understanding connected to the agreement was signed on Sunday night.

Netanyahu defends Israel’s position

Reports have suggested tensions between Netanyahu and Trump behind closed doors, as the Israeli leader faces criticism from opposition figures and members of the political right for failing to prevent the emergence of the US-Iran agreement.

According to Axios, Israel's strike on Beirut and Iran's subsequent threat of retaliation delayed the signing of the deal by several hours.

"Why did Bibi (Netanyahu) have to do a fucking attack? I was so pissed off. I let him know. He has no fucking judgement. I let him know that," Trump told Axios.

Hardline voices in Israel have expressed concern that ending the conflict with Iran could eventually force a halt to Israel's military operations in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza, where Israel occupies around 1,000sq km (386sq miles) of territory.

During the press conference, Netanyahu acknowledged differences with Trump while defending Israel's actions against Iran.

“Many times we see eye to eye, and there are also cases in which we see less eye to eye. I am responsible for Israel’s security interests. I stand up for them,” he said, according to The Jerusalem Post.

He added, “Iran will never have nuclear weapons, not today and not tomorrow… We beheaded the leaders of the terror regime, we crushed the terror factories.”