Israeli prime minister urges Lebanese to stand against Hezbollah as military operations expand in the south; Iran demands Israel-Hezbollah cease-fire as part of any nuclear deal

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds a press conference in Jerusalem on March 19, 2025. [Reuters]
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds a press conference in Jerusalem on March 19, 2025. [Reuters]

By Seo Ji-yeon, The Herald Business

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appealed directly to the Lebanese people Wednesday, telling them their "true enemies" are Hezbollah and Iran and in effect urging them to resist the militant group. The message came as Israel stepped up military operations in southern Lebanon, pairing battlefield pressure with an intensifying public-relations campaign.

In a video message released Wednesday, Netanyahu said Israel was not at war with the Lebanese people. "We are at war with Hezbollah, which holds Lebanon hostage, follows Iran's orders and uses Lebanese territory to attack Israel," he said.

He claimed Hezbollah had been severely weakened while Israel had grown stronger than ever, saying Israeli forces had eliminated roughly 10,000 Hezbollah fighters and were systematically clearing them from southern Lebanon.

Netanyahu said Israel "yearns for peace with Lebanon" and wants a future in which the two countries' people can invest, build and prosper together. "The only obstacle blocking this beautiful vision is Hezbollah," he said, again urging the group to disband.

He accused Hezbollah of trying to sacrifice as many Lebanese lives as possible for its own ambitions, and called on the Lebanese people to "seize the future and stand with Israel." The video was released with Arabic subtitles.

Israeli leaders have grown increasingly direct in their messaging toward Lebanon of late. Earlier, Israeli President Isaac Herzog sent an Arabic-language message to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun expressing hope for peace between the two countries, while making the reduction of Hezbollah's influence a precondition.

The remarks came as Iran and the United States continued last-minute coordination over negotiations on ending the war and on nuclear issues. Hezbollah, a core pillar of the Iran-led "Axis of Resistance," joined the fighting in earnest in early March after launching attacks on Israel, citing support for Iran.

Israel responded with concentrated airstrikes on Hezbollah facilities across Lebanon and deployed a large ground force into the south. The fighting has killed more than 3,000 people and displaced over one million.

Iran is demanding that any truce with the United States include a halt to fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel, however, is holding firm that neutralizing Hezbollah must come first — a gap expected to become a central sticking point in the negotiations ahead.


sjy@heraldcorp.com