Netanyahu says some Lebanese Christian villages asked to be ‘annexed’ by Israel

By Nava Freiberg

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5 July 2026, 8:06 pm

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Nava Freiberg is The Times of Israel's deputy diplomatic correspondent.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that some Christian villages in Lebanon have asked to be annexed by Israel in order to receive protection from the Hezbollah terror group.

Talking up Israel’s treatment of Christians in the Middle East during a Fox News interview, Netanyahu says that “the Christian villages in Lebanon, some of them have actually asked to be annexed to Israel because we protect them against the Hezbollah fanatics who want to kill them — and we do the same things with Christians everywhere.”

The premier does not specify which Christian villages he is referring to, or if such calls were made privately or publicly.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Defense Minister Israel Katz have both said Israel does not have territorial ambitions in Lebanon, but that it won’t withdraw from the security zone it has established in southern Lebanon so long as Hezbollah remains a threat.

Later in the interview, Netanyahu says the recent Israel-Lebanon deal brokered by Washington has shown that he and US President Donald Trump “have more cards to play” in terms of expanding Israel’s ties in the region, adding that Lebanon “would like to free itself of Hezbollah.”

Netanyahu: We also take care of our friends, especially the Christians in the Middle East. The Christian villages in Lebanon, some of them have actually asked to be annexed to Israel. We protect Christians in the Middle East pic.twitter.com/SyeCM2PHMm

— Acyn (@Acyn) July 5, 2026

Without offering specific evidence, Netanyahu argues: “It’s not only the Christians in Lebanon who asked for our protection. It’s the Druze, it’s Muslims, the Sunni muslims and quite a few of the Shiite muslims too… they’d like to free Lebanon. I hope we can get more peace deals.”

While not a formal peace deal, the Israel-Lebanon framework formalized both countries’ intent to eventually normalize relations following the disarmament of Hezbollah and a full Israeli withdrawal from its southern Lebanon security zone.