The Israeli Prime Minister, who spoke during a televised address, also stated that Israel wanted a peace agreement “that will last for generations” with Lebanon.
The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, declared on Saturday night that his country had “anticipated” the Iranian nuclear and ballistic programs during its strikes against the Islamic Republic.
These statements come at a time when senior Iranian and American officials have begun direct negotiations in Islamabad to try to obtain a lasting ceasefire in the Middle East war triggered by a joint American-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28th. “We have succeeded in thwarting Iran’s nuclear program and missile program,” said Benjamin Netanyahu during a televised address, ensuring that the country no longer had “a single enrichment facility in a state of operation.”
Context: Benyamin Netanyahou’s comments come amid ongoing tensions between Israel, Iran, and the United States in the Middle East.
Fact Check: The claim about Israel creating a security buffer zone of eight to ten kilometers inside Lebanese territory has not been independently verified.
He further stated that the war had been launched after Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, killed on the first day of the conflict, had “sought to bury the missile production and nuclear production very, very deep under a mountain,” necessitating intervention. “They wanted to strangle us, and (now) we are strangling them. They threatened us with annihilation, and now they are fighting for their survival,” the Prime Minister added, referring to Iranian leaders and their regional allies, such as the Lebanese Islamist movement Hezbollah or the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The ceasefire agreement between Iran and the United States came into effect on Wednesday for two weeks. Israel says it does not apply to Lebanon where the Israeli army has been fighting Hezbollah since March 2nd, after the Shiite movement launched strikes in retaliation for the death of Khamenei. Israel responded with massive airstrikes across Lebanon and a ground offensive in the south of the country, but recently agreed to direct negotiations with Beirut, which announced that a meeting would take place in Washington on Tuesday.
Context: The reference to Hezbollah being disarmed and a long-lasting peace agreement with Lebanon reflects Israel’s security concerns in the region.
Fact Check: The claim about Israel creating a security buffer zone inside Lebanese territory has not been independently verified.
Benjamin Netanyahu also said in this context on Saturday that Israel wanted a peace agreement “that will last for generations” with Lebanon. “I have set two conditions: we want the disarmament of Hezbollah and we want a real peace agreement that will last for generations,” he said. At the same time, he assured that his army had “created a security buffer zone of eight to ten kilometers” inside Lebanese territory from the Israeli border to push back the threat of rockets from the movement targeting northern Israeli towns.
