Netanyahu says Israel will keep striking Hezbollah while leaving door open to peace
At a ceremony marking three years since the October 7 attacks, the prime minister paired continued military action with talk of reconciliation
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will continue striking Hezbollah even as it seeks a peaceful resolution in Lebanon, according to the Times of Israel.
Speaking Monday at a state ceremony marking the third anniversary of the October 7, 2023 attacks, Netanyahu said Israel will keep hitting Hezbollah "and we will create a chance for peace with a country in which the overwhelming majority wants peace with us," the Times of Israel reported. He also said Israel will not allow Iran to threaten its existence and that Gaza will not return to Hamas rule.
A ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon took effect in November 2024, though violations have occurred on both sides since then, according to a Wikipedia account of the 2024 strike on Hezbollah's headquarters.
The pairing of military threats with diplomatic language echoes Netanyahu's past statements and does not amount to a shift in posture. Strikes in southern Lebanon have continued even as Israeli officials speak of openness to talks, keeping the conflict in its established pattern rather than pushing it toward either an off-ramp or a sharper escalation. The broader risk calculus tied to Iran and Hezbollah, which has persisted for weeks, is unchanged by Monday's remarks.