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Israel PM Says Troops to Stay in South Lebanon ‘as Long as Necessary’

An Israeli military vehicle moves past destroyed buildings in southern Lebanon as seen from northern Israel, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP)
An Israeli military vehicle moves past destroyed buildings in southern Lebanon as seen from northern Israel, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP)
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Israel PM Says Troops to Stay in South Lebanon ‘as Long as Necessary’

An Israeli military vehicle moves past destroyed buildings in southern Lebanon as seen from northern Israel, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP)
An Israeli military vehicle moves past destroyed buildings in southern Lebanon as seen from northern Israel, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israeli forces would remain in occupied regions of southern Lebanon "as long as necessary", while also vowing to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. 

"We will remain in the security zone in southern Lebanon for as long as necessary to protect the cherished residents of the north and all the citizens of Israel... Nothing will alter that commitment," Netanyahu said. 

"And with regard to Iran: whatever political developments may unfold, I will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. As long as I serve as prime minister of Israel, that will not happen." 

Israel's military chief said on Sunday that Hezbollah had suffered a severe blow fighting Israeli forces and was now in a "very difficult position", as he met with troops in southern Lebanon. 

He spoke as the United States and Iran held talks in Switzerland after signing a preliminary agreement to end the broader Middle East war, with the conflict in Lebanon threatening to derail the deal. 

"Hezbollah has suffered a severe and significant blow, and we are committed to remaining prepared to continue operating and prevent its rebuilding," Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said, according to a military statement. 

"Hezbollah is in a very difficult position," he added. 

Hezbollah had pulled Lebanon into the Middle East war in early March when the Iran-backed Lebanese group fired rockets at Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran's supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes. 

Despite a new ceasefire announcement on Friday as part of the memorandum of understanding signed by Tehran and Washington, Israel and Hezbollah had continued to clash. 

However, there were no reports of fresh strikes in Lebanon since Saturday evening. 

Zamir vowed to defend the communities of northern Israel from Hezbollah rockets. 

"This is the purpose guiding all our efforts... The ceasefire that has been declared is fragile, and we must maintain a high level of readiness for the renewal of combat operations," Zamir said. 

- Qassem - 

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem on Sunday rejected any Israeli security zone in Lebanon. 

Israeli troops "remaining on Lebanese land is impossible. There are no security zones for Israel... we have a national army which deploys, and it is responsible for preserving sovereignty, and it is who we cooperate with," Qassem said in a televised address. 

"Israel is an aggressor and must leave. America bears full responsibility," he said, adding that "Israel will not remain in Lebanon, even if it increases its crimes, and we will defend ourselves." 

Qassem's address came as Washington and Tehran held talks in Switzerland after this week signing a preliminary agreement to end the broader Middle East war, which includes a halt to the hostilities in Lebanon. 

Ongoing Israeli strikes in recent days have threatened to derail the deal, but fighting in Lebanon has paused since Saturday evening, after Iran again closed the strategic Strait of Hormuz in response to Israel's attacks on Lebanon. 

"Any ceasefire under the banner of a comprehensive cessation of hostilities -- we have already committed to this if it happens, but we will not accept any violation. We will confront any violation... we will deal with it as we see fit," Qassem said. 

He urged Lebanese authorities to "take advantage of the path of the memorandum of understanding." 

"Look at the great Iran, closing the Strait of Hormuz for the sake of Lebanon. This is a weapon in your hands," he said, addressing the Lebanese authorities, adding, "Take up this weapon and use it." 

Under US pressure, Lebanon in April began direct talks with Israel in Washington aimed at ending the hostilities and separating the Israel-Hezbollah conflict.

Hezbollah has firmly rejected the direct talks, a fifth round of which is due to begin next week. 

Earlier on Sunday, Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israeli forces had standing orders to act against any threat inside Lebanon and insisted they would remain in the so-called security zone established within occupied Lebanese territory. 

"There has never been, and there is currently no restriction on Israeli soldiers in Lebanon from acting to eliminate threats... As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I have made clear: Israel will not withdraw from the security zone in Lebanon," Israel Katz said in a statement, referring to an area extending roughly 10 kilometers (six miles) into Lebanese territory that Israel is occupying. 

Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters engaged in fierce clashes this week, with Lebanese officials reporting dozens of people killed and the Israeli military reporting five of its own soldiers dead. 

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Arab World

Israel Seeks New Rules of Engagement with Hezbollah Over Ali al-Taher

A Lebanese woman inspects damage caused by Israeli airstrikes on the southern Lebanese town of Arabsalim (AP)
A Lebanese woman inspects damage caused by Israeli airstrikes on the southern Lebanese town of Arabsalim (AP)
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Israel Seeks New Rules of Engagement with Hezbollah Over Ali al-Taher

A Lebanese woman inspects damage caused by Israeli airstrikes on the southern Lebanese town of Arabsalim (AP)
A Lebanese woman inspects damage caused by Israeli airstrikes on the southern Lebanese town of Arabsalim (AP)

Israel’s escalation in southern Lebanon on Thursday appeared aimed at establishing new rules of engagement with Hezbollah, under which it would launch airstrikes deeper into Lebanese territory if the group sought to prevent Israeli forces from advancing toward the strategic Ali al-Taher Heights.

This has unfolded alongside Iranian rules of engagement centered on threats of military intervention if Beirut or its southern suburbs are targeted.

A Lebanese woman was killed on Thursday in an Israeli strike on the southern Lebanese town of Arabsalim. The Israeli military said the strike was in response to Hezbollah launching two drones toward its forces in Ali al-Taher.

The strikes on the town marked a notable escalation after nearly two weeks in which detonations and airstrikes had remained confined to towns inside the Yellow Line and its surroundings, extending into Lebanese territory.

Rules of engagement with Hezbollah

Security sources in southern Lebanon viewed the latest escalation as an Israeli attempt to establish rules of engagement with Hezbollah by expanding the scope of strikes deeper into the south whenever Hezbollah fighters confront Israeli military attempts to seize the strategic heights.

The escalation has recurred whenever the Israeli military announces that its forces in the area have come under attack, the sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.

That was the case in mid-August, when the Israeli air force carried out deadly strikes on the towns of Ansar and Deir al-Zahrani in response to what it said was the wounding of three of its soldiers in Ali al-Taher.

Hezbollah has not claimed responsibility for any military operation against Israeli forces in the area, in line with a decision to maintain secrecy, according to sources familiar with the group’s political and media operations.

Israeli statements, however, point to Hezbollah military activity in the strategic heights whenever Israeli military vehicles attempt to advance there. Israeli media have reported that five explosive-laden drones have targeted Israeli troops in the area since the beginning of August.

Gradual encroachment

Israel insists on seizing the strategic heights east of the city of Nabatieh. Its efforts, however, have met with Hezbollah’s refusal to evacuate the area and hand over its facilities to the Lebanese army, in addition to Iranian threats to intervene militarily if Israel launches a large-scale operation.

Lebanese sources said the United States had curbed Israel’s push to seize the area through a major military operation, prompting Tel Aviv to pursue control through gradual encroachment.

Over the past two weeks, the Israeli military has stepped up operations aimed at “isolating” the Ali al-Taher Heights from their surroundings. It has repeatedly struck buildings within a three-kilometer radius, carrying out airstrikes on Nabatieh al-Fawqa, Dawhat Kfar Rumman and neighboring areas. The attacks destroyed dozens of homes, villas and other buildings in the area.

Detonations and incursions

The military activity has coincided with detonations and incursions deeper into Lebanese territory. The Israeli military carried out demolition operations in the towns of Haddatha, Talloussa and Mansouri, while Israeli forces advanced from Haddatha into Aita al-Jabal and set fire to areas on the town’s outskirts.

Israeli artillery also shelled Houla and Wadi al-Slouqi alongside machine-gun fire.

Lebanese officials have condemned the continued Israeli strikes on the south despite the two countries signing a US-sponsored framework agreement in June and engaging in direct negotiations. Hezbollah categorically rejects the talks and has also refused to surrender its weapons.

The Israeli military said on Friday that troops from the Golani Brigade combat team “continue to operate in the security zone in southern Lebanon to eliminate threats.”

“Over recent weeks, the troops have destroyed more than 400 terrorist infrastructure sites and located numerous weapons, including anti-tank missiles, anti-aircraft missiles, explosive devices, firearms and mortar shells,” it said in a statement.

Iranian rules of engagement

Since the ceasefire, Israeli military operations have been confined to southern Lebanon, while Iranian officials have threatened intervention if Beirut or its southern suburbs are targeted.

The latest remarks came from Major General Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, in a television interview broadcast on Thursday night by Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar television.

Rezaei said Israel was “no longer capable of attacking Beirut’s southern suburbs or Beirut,” attributing this to “the losses Hezbollah inflicted on Israel over the past three or four months” and to Iran’s threat, which he said had been fully effective.

He said Beirut and its southern suburbs constituted a “red line for Iran,” adding that Tehran was “monitoring developments with the utmost seriousness” and that “Israel will find itself compelled to withdraw from the Lebanese territory it entered.”

Rezaei said Iran “does not interfere in the details of Hezbollah’s military structure or its field decisions,” adding that the group “now has military personnel capable of managing its affairs and making its own decisions, particularly with the rise of two new generations of young commanders.”

 

 

Arab World

Yemen Bolsters Defenses Against Houthi Threat

Part of the latest Yemeni government meeting in the interim capital, Aden (Saba)
Part of the latest Yemeni government meeting in the interim capital, Aden (Saba)
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Yemen Bolsters Defenses Against Houthi Threat

Part of the latest Yemeni government meeting in the interim capital, Aden (Saba)
Part of the latest Yemeni government meeting in the interim capital, Aden (Saba)

The escalating Houthi threat is no longer confined to the front lines or direct military attacks.

It is increasingly bearing down on ports, economic facilities and shipping lanes as Yemen’s government reorganizes state resources to confront a threat it says extends beyond the domestic conflict to international navigation and trade.

The government’s push comes amid an escalation along the western coast and in the Red Sea.

In the latest developments, ballistic missiles were fired in recent hours toward government-held islands and areas near international shipping lanes, while an attempted one-way drone attack was also reported, according to military media.

The Yemeni navy also thwarted an attempt by Houthi boats to approach government-held islands, the reports said.

The developments confront the Yemeni government with a complex challenge.

Its institutions must contain military attacks, protect civilian and commercial facilities, secure supply chains and keep the economy functioning in a country battered by years of war sparked by the Houthis and by deep financial and monetary divisions.

At its latest meeting in Aden, Yemen’s cabinet treated the Houthi escalation not as a string of isolated military operations, but as part of a broader campaign targeting the foundations of the state.

The cabinet focused on Houthi attacks against economic infrastructure and civilian and commercial facilities, particularly the port of Mokha, describing them as an attempt to disrupt trade, shipping and supply flows.

Mokha’s importance extends far beyond its immediate surroundings because of its proximity to one of the world’s most important maritime corridors.

Any threat to the port or nearby coastal areas would hit not only Yemen’s economy but also add another layer of risk to shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

Broadening the confrontation

The Yemeni government is seeking to show it can manage the confrontation on parallel military, security and economic fronts.

The cabinet ordered authorities to maintain the highest level of readiness, strengthen surveillance, early-warning and response systems, and improve coordination among military, security and civilian agencies.

The measures are intended to ensure a rapid response to threats and protect state institutions, facilities and national interests.

But the government’s response extends beyond security. The cabinet also discussed electricity and gas supplies, supply bottlenecks, market oversight and supply chains.

It called for tighter controls over entry points and government revenue, as well as stronger action against smuggling and the financing of illicit activities.

The measures underscore the government’s effort to tie economic security to military security. It believes the state’s ability to withstand the escalation hinges on preventing disruptions to markets and supplies while cutting off resources the Houthis could use to finance military operations.

They also reflect an official recognition that any prolonged escalation in the Red Sea could pile further pressure on an already fragile economy, particularly if it disrupts ports or affects the movement of food, medicine and other goods.

In that context, Yemen’s cabinet stressed that anti-smuggling measures must not obstruct legitimate trade, as it seeks to cut off illicit funding while keeping essential goods flowing to the population.

International partnership

Alongside the government’s measures, Yemeni officials have called for broader cooperation with the international community, particularly the United States, to address risks that are no longer confined to Yemen’s borders.

In a video call with US Chargé d’Affaires to Yemen, Neil Hop, Presidential Leadership Council member Sultan al-Arada said security in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait was a shared responsibility.

Protecting freedom of navigation and global trade routes required greater political and economic pressure on the Houthis, as well as efforts to cut off their sources of funding and weapons, he said.

The message seeks to shift the debate from the war in Yemen to the wider security of international shipping lanes. Yemen’s leadership argues that continued instability in the country directly affects regional security and global trade.

The US side reaffirmed its support for the Presidential Leadership Council and the government, according to Yemen’s official media.

It also expressed readiness to continue supporting state institutions and strengthening their capacity to address security, economic and humanitarian challenges, with a focus on restricting the Houthis’ sources of funding and weapons.

 

 

Arab World

Sudan War Moves Closer to Ethiopian Border

Sudanese refugees at Ura camp in Assosa, Ethiopia’s Benishangul-Gumuz region (AFP)
Sudanese refugees at Ura camp in Assosa, Ethiopia’s Benishangul-Gumuz region (AFP)
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Sudan War Moves Closer to Ethiopian Border

Sudanese refugees at Ura camp in Assosa, Ethiopia’s Benishangul-Gumuz region (AFP)
Sudanese refugees at Ura camp in Assosa, Ethiopia’s Benishangul-Gumuz region (AFP)

Days after tensions rose along Sudan’s western border with Chad, the war’s fallout has edged closer to its eastern frontier with Ethiopia.

Fighting has intensified in Blue Nile state, where the army said it shot down drones that came from the direction of Ethiopian territory. The Rapid Support Forces and its allies also said they had seized strategic positions in the border state.

The developments bring two of Sudan’s neighbors — Chad to the west and Ethiopia to the east — increasingly close to a war now in its fourth year. They have also fueled fears that expanding military operations near the borders could increase the risk of regional spillover.

N’Djamena raised its alert level along the Sudanese border after accusing the Sudanese army of carrying out a strike inside Chad that targeted a vehicle convoy. Khartoum rejected holding the army responsible without an independent investigation.

Advance in Blue Nile

On the eastern front, the RSF and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North, led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu, said they seized the Sirkam and Bakori bases near the Ethiopian border after fierce fighting with the army.

RSF spokesperson al-Fateh Qurashi said forces from the Sudan Founding Alliance, known as Tasis, captured the two bases, inflicted losses on the army and its allied forces, and seized combat vehicles, tanks, weapons and ammunition.

The RSF released videos that it said showed its fighters inside the army’s Sirkam military base. Its full account and the scale of the reported losses could not be independently verified.

Local sources, however, said the army had repelled an attack on Bakori. Control of the area remained disputed, with no detailed army statement clarifying the situation on the ground.

Sirkam and Bakori are militarily important because of their location on routes that could allow attacking forces to push north towards Damazin, the capital and political, military and administrative center of the Blue Nile region.

The escalation came a day after the army said it shot down what it described as a “hostile strategic drone” that entered from the direction of Ethiopian territory. It said the aircraft was the third drone it had downed in less than a week.

No independent investigation has established where the drones were launched or who operated them.

The RSF and its ally, the SPLM-N, seized the strategic areas of Kurmuk and Geissan on the Ethiopian border in early August. The advance triggered large waves of displacement and made the Blue Nile one of the war’s most active fronts.

Drone Strikes Kill Civilians

At least eight people were killed and dozens of civilians wounded in two drone attacks in the Sharu area, north of Sodari locality in North Kordofan state, as fighting continued in Blue Nile.

Emergency Lawyers, a group that documents wartime violations, said a drone targeted civilians before striking again as people tried to help the wounded. Four civilian vehicles were also destroyed.

The group did not identify who was responsible. Neither the army nor the RSF commented.

Emergency Lawyers called for an independent investigation and for those responsible to be held accountable. It said the targeted area was civilian and had no visible military presence.

Drone use in the war has risen sharply in recent months. Strikes have hit military positions, civilian areas, and energy and water facilities, particularly in the Kordofan region.

The shift in fighting between Sudan’s western border with Chad and its southeastern frontier with Ethiopia underscores the war’s widening geographical reach.

It has also raised fears that border areas could turn from routes for supplies and displaced people into battlefields, increasing friction with neighboring countries.