Sa’ar: Israel has no territorial ambitions in Lebanon, but won’t withdraw from security zone

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar insists Israel does not have territorial ambitions in Lebanon, but it won’t withdraw from the security zone it has established in southern Lebanon.

Sa’ar says he told his New Zealand counterpart Winston Peters over the phone that Israel will respect the current ceasefire in Lebanon as long as Hezbollah does, too.

“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. Lebanon’s sovereignty has been breached for decades to this very day by Iran’s indirect occupation by Hezbollah. It’s the interest of both Lebanon and Israel that Hezbollah’s terror state will be dismantled. I invited the FM to Israel,” Sa’ar writes on X.

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