Israel Will Not Withdraw From Southern Lebanon While Hezbollah Terrorist Organization Exists

23/06/2026

Israel Will Not Withdraw From Southern Lebanon While Hezbollah Terrorist Organization Exists

JERUSALEM, Jun 23: Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Tuesday that Israel will not withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon as long as Iran-backed Hezbollah remains active in the country and the current Israeli government remains in power.

“It simply will not happen,” Smotrich told Israeli Army Radio. “There will be no Israeli withdrawal from the security zone in Lebanon, including the Beaufort Ridge, as long as Hezbollah exists in Lebanon.”

Smotrich said Hezbollah must be dismantled, excluded from Lebanon’s government and stripped of any military capability to threaten Israel before new security arrangements can be discussed.

“Hezbollah is a terrorist organization. It must be dismantled, it must not be part of the Lebanese government, and it must not have any military force or ability to threaten the State of Israel. Only then will it be possible to discuss new security arrangements,” he said.

His remarks underscore Israel’s position that Hezbollah’s military presence in Lebanon remains a major obstacle to any withdrawal or broader security agreement along the border.