Shafaq News- Middle East

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday appealed directly to the Lebanese public, urging them to reject Hezbollah and support a “future of peace and prosperity” between Israel and Lebanon.

In a video message, Netanyahu said Israel “was not at war with Lebanon but with Hezbollah,” which he accused of serving Iranian interests and using Lebanese territory to launch attacks against Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's message to the Lebanese people:Israel is not at war with Lebanon. We're at war with Hezbollah, that has taken your country hostage, that does Iran's bidding, that uses your territory to launch terrorist attacks against Israel.Once Hezbollah… pic.twitter.com/FH8ywOaZpG

— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) June 10, 2026

Addressing Lebanese citizens, Netanyahu contrasted Lebanon's past with its current situation, arguing that Hezbollah and Iran had dragged the country into repeated conflicts and deprived it of stability and economic development.

He said Hezbollah had been significantly weakened by Israeli military operations, claiming that Israeli forces had killed nearly 10,000 Hezbollah fighters and were continuing operations across southern Lebanon.

Netanyahu's appeal came as pressure mounted on Hezbollah's role in Lebanon. Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi recently said the group's weapons had "lost their justification," while Lebanon and Israel prepare for a new round of US-backed talks aimed at securing a ceasefire and expanding state control over southern Lebanon. The efforts follow months of fighting that have killed 3,696 people and wounded 11,413 others in Lebanon since hostilities resumed in March, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

Read more: Israel's war fell on Christians and Shiites in Southern Lebanon with no distinction