Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that Israeli forces remained engaged in strikes against Hezbollah and were closing in on what he described as the militia's major position in Bint Jbeil, even as international pressure for a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon mounted.
In a recorded video statement, Netanyahu said he had ordered the military to continue strengthening the security zone in southern Lebanon while at the same time negotiating a peace deal with Beirut. "These negotiations have not taken place for over 40 years. They are happening now because we are very strong, and countries are coming to us - not only Lebanon," he said.
Netanyahu outlined two central objectives in the discussions with Lebanon: the dismantling of Hezbollah and the attainment of a sustainable peace that is "achieved through strength." He tied Israel's negotiating position to the military posture on the ground.
The renewed confrontation between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon followed U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, which, according to Netanyahu's comments, sparked a broader regional escalation.
Addressing the situation in southern Lebanon specifically, the prime minister said Israeli forces were concentrated on Bint Jbeil, which he referred to as the capital of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. "We are, in effect, about to eliminate this great stronghold of Hezbollah," he said, describing an imminent military objective.
On matters related to Iran, Netanyahu said that the United States keeps Israel informed and that the two nations share objectives concerning Iran's nuclear capabilities. He specified three goals: seeing enriched nuclear material removed from Iran, securing the cancellation of enrichment capabilities inside Iran, and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Netanyahu cautioned that the trajectory of these developments remained uncertain. "It is too early to say how this matter will end, or even how it will progress," he said, adding that if hostilities were to resume, "we are prepared for any scenario."
Context note: The prime minister framed the government's approach as a combination of military pressure and diplomatic engagement while emphasising coordination with the United States on Iran-related aims.