From the Liveblog of
Saturday, June 20, 2026
Netanyahu vows IDF to remain in south Lebanon ‘for as long as necessary,’ says ‘senior official’
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleEmanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stresses that Israel will remain in southern Lebanon “for as long as necessary to defend its northern border,” a “senior official” says in a statement sent to reporters by the Prime Minister’s Office.
The “official” says that Netanyahu “instructed the IDF to respond forcefully to any Hezbollah attack and to act to remove threats against our forces.”
“In response to Hezbollah’s attacks over the past two days, the IDF struck 300 terror targets and eliminated approximately 100 terrorists,” the statement says.
The “official” warns that “if Hezbollah attacks us again, we will strike it forcefully once more.”
Netanyahu’s office sometimes releases statements from the premier under the name of an anonymous “senior official.”
The Times of Israel Community.