Israeli FM: Israel to respect Lebanon ceasefire if Hezbollah does

Israel will respect the ceasefire in Lebanon as long as Hezbollah does not breach it, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar told his New Zealand counterpart, Winston Peters, over the phone on Monday.

“We don’t have territorial ambitions in Lebanon, but we will not withdraw from the security zone and expose our citizens to Hezbollah’s attacks and possible invasion,” Sa’ar wrote on X.

Israel’s top diplomat stressed that Iran has violated Lebanon’s sovereignty for decades “to this very day” by Hezbollah’s indirect occupation.

“It’s the interest of both Lebanon and Israel that Hezbollah’s terror state will be dismantled,” Sa’ar stated.

He moreover said that he invited Peters to visit the Jewish state.

Good to speak again with the FM of New Zealand @winstonpeters.
I said that Israel will respect the ceasefire in Lebanon as long as it won’t be breached by Hezbollah.
We don’t have territorial ambitions in Lebanon, but we will not withdraw from the security zone and expose our… pic.twitter.com/lhvuFWA3O0

— Gideon Sa’ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) June 22, 2026

Five Israeli soldiers were killed in clashes with Iran’s proxy group over the weekend, prompting the Israel Defense Forces to respond via wide-scale airstrikes against Hezbollah operatives and terrorist infrastructure sites.

Israeli security forces hold about 10% of Lebanon’s territory north of the Israeli-Lebanese border. Israeli officials have reiterated their position that the security zone is critical for the safety of Israeli civilians and the communities adjacent to the border, and therefore will not order troops to withdraw.