Netanyahu said, \u201cThe balance changed so dramatically that over the past month we began receiving calls from Lebanon for direct peace talks. This is something that has not happened in more than 40 years. I responded to that call and agreed to a pause, or more precisely a 10-day temporary ceasefire, in order to advance the agreement that we began discussing at the ambassadors\u2019 meeting in Washington.\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\nTwo main demands are on the table<\/strong><\/h3>\nThe Israeli prime minister said Israel had two core demands for any broader agreement. According to Netanyahu, the first is the disarmament of Hezbollah, and the second is a sustainable peace deal based on what he described as the principle of \u201cpeace through strength.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also said Hezbollah had insisted on two conditions in order to reach the ceasefire. Netanyahu stated, \u201cThe first was a full Israeli withdrawal from all Lebanese territory up to the international border. The second was a ceasefire based on a model of mutual inaction. I did not accept either of those, and indeed neither of those conditions is being met.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are there and we are not going anywhere\u201d<\/strong><\/h4>\nThe sharpest part of Netanyahu\u2019s remarks came when he addressed the Israeli military presence in Lebanon. He said Israeli forces would remain in place and even described a broader security buffer that stretches across multiple strategic points.<\/p>\n
Netanyahu said, \u201cThis is a security buffer that begins from the sea and extends to Mount Dov, from there to the foothills of Mount Hermon and the Syrian border. This 10-kilometer-deep security belt is stronger, denser, more continuous and more solid than before. We are there and we are not going anywhere. This allows us first and foremost to prevent the danger of attacks on our communities, and secondly to prevent direct anti-tank fire from those areas. Our citizens are now protected from these two threats. Of course, problems remain. They still have rockets. As we move toward a security agreement and a permanent peace agreement, we will also have to deal with those.\u201d<\/p>\n
He points to talks with Trump<\/strong><\/h2>\nNetanyahu also said he had spoken with US President Donald Trump over the past two days. According to him, those talks were not limited to Lebanon and also touched on Iran and broader regional security issues.<\/p>\n
Netanyahu said, \u201cHe told me that he is extremely determined to continue the naval blockade and to eliminate whatever remains of Iran\u2019s nuclear capacity. He is not backing away from that. He is confident that by continuing the great things we have achieved together, he can remove this threat completely. Of course, we will also address the missile threat and enrichment capacity. I will not go into detail on that. These are two very important moves that could fundamentally change our security and diplomatic situation for years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ceasefire declared, but uncertainty remains<\/strong><\/h3>\nNetanyahu\u2019s comments made clear that the 10-day ceasefire does not amount to a full de-escalation on the ground. His insistence that Israeli forces will stay in Lebanon, together with his demand that Hezbollah be disarmed, suggests that the next phase will be shaped by both diplomacy and continued confrontation.<\/p>\n
The fighting may have paused for now, but the conditions laid out by Israel show that the road ahead remains tense, uncertain and politically loaded.<\/p>\n