Netanyahu says some Lebanese Christian villages asked to be annexed by Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that some Christian villages in southern Lebanon had asked to be annexed by Israel to be protected from Hezbollah militants. The remark was made during an interview on Fox News's "The Sunday Briefing."

According to Netanyahu, the Christian villages reached out to Israel because it protects them from Hezbollah "fanatics" who want to kill them. He added that Israel does the same for Christians everywhere.

Lebanon was drawn into the wider Middle East war on March 2 when Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran's supreme leader in joint US-Israeli strikes. Israel responded with massive airstrikes and a ground invasion of southern Lebanon, where its troops now occupy swathes of territory near the border.

Since the war began, some Christian villages in southern Lebanon have endured Israeli shelling, airstrikes, displacement, and infrastructure damage. Most have remained inhabited despite Israeli evacuation orders, with residents choosing to stay to protect their homes, churches and farmland, though some villages were partially or fully evacuated.

During the war, the Israeli military has warned several Christian-majority villages—through phone calls to mayors and local officials—not to allow "strangers" in, referring to Hezbollah fighters.

In a separate speech at a state ceremony on Sunday, Netanyahu reiterated that Israel's military would maintain its presence in southern Lebanon "as long as necessary in order to protect the residents of the north and all the citizens of Israel."

Meanwhile, Israel's military chief, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, visited troops stationed near Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon on Sunday, vowing that the army would "continue to operate decisively to remove threats from Lebanese territory."

Israeli forces have continued to clash with Hezbollah fighters despite a US-brokered agreement between Israel and Lebanon intended to pave the way toward a lasting end to hostilities.

During his Fox News interview, Netanyahu also addressed reported disagreements with US President Donald Trump over the deal that halted the war with Iran. He said they have an "excellent relationship" defined as "between allies," and that 99% of the time they see eye-to-eye, but sometimes there are differences of opinion, which are discussed openly and usually resolved.

Netanyahu's remarks came a day after Trump told the news outlet Axios that Netanyahu "knows who the boss is." In recent weeks, Trump has repeatedly criticized the Israeli premier amid negotiations over the Iran deal, accusing him of ingratitude and even calling him "crazy" over Israel's escalation in Lebanon. In his Axios interview, Trump added that Netanyahu was expected to visit Washington in the coming days.