Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while agreeing to a 10-day ceasefire with Lebanon, said that the action is tied to strict conditions, including Hezbollah's disarmament and a reinforced Israeli security presence in Lebanon.
"We have two fundamental demands for these peace talks: First, the disarmament of Hezbollah. Second, a sustainable peace agreement, peace through strength," Netanyahu said in a series of posts on X, along with a video, on Thursday.
President Donald Trump announced the ceasefire the same day. By Friday morning, it appeared to remain in effect.
Netanyahu described a shift in regional dynamics following Israel's actions against Hezbollah leadership.
"We eliminated [Hassan] Nasrallah," he said. "This balance has shifted to such an extent that over the past month, we began receiving calls from Lebanon to hold direct peace talks between us. This is something that hasn't happened in over 40 years."
He said he agreed to a temporary halt in fighting to explore negotiations.
"I answered that call, and I agreed to a timeout, or more accurately, a temporary 10-day ceasefire, to try and advance the agreement we began discussing during the meeting of ambassadors in Washington," the prime minister said.
However, Netanyahu made clear Israel rejected key conditions proposed by Hezbollah, saying, "first, that Israel must withdraw from all Lebanese territory, back to the international border. Second, a ceasefire based on the 'quiet for quiet' model. I agreed to neither of these, and indeed, those two conditions are not being met."
Instead, Israel will maintain a military presence inside Lebanon, said Netanyahu.
"We are remaining in Lebanon in a reinforced security buffer zone," he said. "This is not the 'five points' that existed before 'Roaring Lion.' This is a security buffer that starts at the sea and continues to Mount Dov and the foothills of Mt. Hermon, up to the Syrian border."
He added that the zone would be significantly expanded and fortified.
"This is a security strip ten kilometers deep, which is much stronger, more intense, more continuous, and more solid than what we had previously," he said. "That is where we are, and we are not leaving."
Netanyahu said the buffer is intended to protect Israeli communities from cross-border threats.
"This allows us, first and foremost, to block the danger of an invasion into our communities, and secondly, it allows us to prevent direct anti-tank fire into the communities," he said. "The residents are now protected from these two dangers."
He acknowledged that risks remain, particularly from Hezbollah's remaining arsenal.
"Of course, there are still problems," he said. "They still have rockets left. We will have to deal with that as well, as part of the progress toward a security agreement and a continuous peace treaty."
Netanyahu also pointed to coordination with Trump on broader regional security efforts.
"I have spoken with President Trump over these last two days, and he told me he is tremendously determined to continue the naval blockade and to bring about the dismantling of Iran's nuclear capability, what remains of it," he said.
Netanyahu pointed out that Trump "is not giving up on this."
"He is certain he can eliminate this threat once and for all, continuing the great things we have done together," he said. "Of course, we will also handle the missile threat and the enrichment capability."
Netanyahu framed the developments as potentially transformative.
"These are two very important moves that can fundamentally change our security and diplomatic situation for years to come," he said. "With G-d's help, we will act, and with G-d's help, we will succeed."
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