Gideon Saar: Israel has no territorial ambitions in Lebanon

On April 28, Israel said it was not seeking to take territory in Lebanon, as its military issued fresh evacuation warnings for multiple towns and villages in the country’s south amid ongoing cross-border operations, Al Arabiya reports.

“Israel has no territorial ambitions in Lebanon. Our presence... serves one purpose: protecting our citizens,” Foreign Minister Gideon Saar told a news conference.

“No country would be willing to live in such a way with a gun pointed to its head,” he added, as the military continued operations against Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Shortly after a ceasefire with Hezbollah came into effect on April 17, Israel declared a so-called “Yellow Line” — a strip of Lebanese territory around 10 kilometres deep along the border within which Israeli troops are operating.

“In a reality where Hezbollah and other terror organisations -- including Palestinian terror groups -- are dismantled, Israel will have no need to maintain its presence in these areas,” Saar said.

Despite the truce, both sides have accused each other of violations, with sporadic fighting continuing along the border.

On Tuesday, the Israeli military issued evacuation warnings for residents in more than a dozen villages and towns, instructing them to move northwards.

“Out of concern for your safety, you are required to evacuate your homes immediately and move... towards the Sidon District,” military Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee wrote on X.

Lebanon’s state media later reported Israeli airstrikes across the south, including in areas covered by the evacuation order, as well as demolition operations in at least one location.

All the areas listed for evacuation appeared to be outside or on the boundary of the “Yellow Line.”

By Aghakazim Guliyev