A man walks past destruction in the southern Lebanese village of Froun on June 30, 2026. (Credit: Kawnat Haju/AFP)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel still needed to “deal with the remnants of the Iranian axis and seize opportunities for peace agreements” during an interview last night with Israel’s Channel 14, as reported by The Times of Israel, a few days after the signing of a framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel.
“There are agreements with Lebanon that nobody had anticipated. There are also contacts with other countries. I cannot say any more than that,” added the head of the most right-wing government in Israel’s history. The agreement between Beirut and Tel Aviv provides for the disarmament of Hezbollah alongside Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon, as a prerequisite for “lasting peace” between the two countries.
When asked whether the wars waged by Israel against Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah in recent years could be considered over, Benjamin Netanyahu replied: “It is never over. If you want to live in the Middle East — and in the world — you have to be very strong." "Israel is stronger than ever, and we have repelled these threats. We have considerably weakened them. We still have work to do…’, he said. He concluded: "When you are strong, people ally themselves with you, and they also make peace with you."
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has repeatedly stated throughout June that the Israeli army would maintain its troops in southern Lebanon, in southern Syria, and in Gaza, despite the announcement of a mid-June agreement between the United States and Iran to end the war in the Middle East.
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