Netanyahu: War against Iran ‘continuing with full force’; Lebanon buffer zone to expand

By Lazar Berman

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25 March 2026, 6:54 pm

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Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a virtual meeting with municipal leaders from northern Israel, March 25, 2026. (GPO screenshot)

The campaign against Iran is “continuing at full force, despite what is reported in the media,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says during a video meeting with local government heads from the northern border area.

He asserts the threat of an invasion of northern Israel by Hezbollah terrorists “no longer exists,” adding that Israel is creating an expanded buffer zone in Lebanon to push back threats from Hezbollah anti-tank missiles.

Now, he says, the focus is on “dismantling Hezbollah.”

“We are determined to do everything to fundamentally change the situation in Lebanon,” he promises.

Netanyahu also stresses that Israel’s commitment to protecting the Druze in Syria “remains in force.”