Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that several Christian villages in southern Lebanon have “asked to be annexed” to the Jewish state. On the American channel Fox News, he explains that this request is protection against the pro-Iranian Hezbollah. Claims denied by the mayor of the Christian village of Rmeish.

Published on: 07/05/2026 - 9:04 p.m. Modified on: 07/05/2026 - 10:23 p.m.

Benjamin Netanyahu said on Fox News on Sunday July 5 that certain Christian villages in southern Lebanon had asked the Jewish state to be “annexed”. The names of these villages were not given. According to him, residents are seeking protection against pro-Iranian Hezbollah.

Among the "Christian villages in Lebanon, some have even asked to be annexed to Israel, because we protect them against the Hezbollah fanatics who want to kill them. And we do the same thing with Christians everywhere," he said on "The Sunday Briefing".

The mayor of the Christian village of Rmeish, Hanna al-Amil, quoted by the official Lebanese news agency ANI, denied these claims.

According to him, "15 Christian localities published a statement two days ago refuting" such allegations and emphasizing their "fidelity to their national identity" and their "attachment to their Lebanese flag." Considering such an idea is “absolutely out of the question,” he said.

Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war on March 2, when Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel in support of Iran, which was targeted by a US-Israeli offensive.

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Israel responded with intense bombing and a ground invasion of southern Lebanon. It now occupies part of southern Lebanon near the border.

Since the start of the war, some Christian villages have suffered Israeli bombardments which damaged them, throwing their inhabitants onto the roads.

But most remained inhabited despite Israeli calls to evacuate. The Israeli army had warned several predominantly Christian villages not to let strangers enter or stay, for their own safety.

A Trump-Netanyahu meeting

In a speech at a ceremony on Sunday, Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that the army would maintain its presence "as long as necessary in order to protect the inhabitants of the north and all citizens of Israel."

On Fox News, he also spoke about his disagreements with Donald Trump regarding the memorandum of understanding signed on April 17 between Washington and Tehran with a view to a lasting settlement of the regional conflict, including Lebanon.

“We have a great relationship, which is defined, as I said, between allies,” Benjamin Netanyahu said: “99% of the time we are on the same page, but like in any family, any close friendship, sometimes there are differences of opinion, and we discuss them openly” and “we usually resolve them too.”

The day before, the American site Axios quoted Donald Trump as saying that Benjamin Netanyahu knew “who is boss”. Donald Trump has recently criticized Benjamin Netanyahu several times, when Israel's war against Hezbollah threatened talks with Iran.

The two men are due to meet soon in Washington.

Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, who heads the Israeli army, for his part swore on Sunday, during a visit to his troops in Lebanon, that it "will continue to act decisively against threats coming from Lebanese territory, and stands ready to quickly move on to offensive operations if the truce is violated."

With AFP

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