Israel continues active operations against the armed units of the Shiite organization Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. According to him, the goal is to establish a strong buffer zone to ensure the security of Israel’s northern regions.

“We have created a real security buffer that prevents a ground invasion into Galilee through the northern border. We are expanding this security buffer to push the threat of anti-tank missiles farther away from our communities. We are simply creating a wider buffer zone,” Netanyahu said, according to a statement from his office.

He made the remarks during a video conference with the heads of northern border communities. Speaking about the fighting in Lebanon, Netanyahu claimed that Hezbollah’s military wing had been preparing an invasion of Israeli territory, but the army had allegedly neutralized these threats.

According to him, a major danger to Israel also came from Hezbollah’s missile arsenal. “There was a threat that they would turn Galilee and the cities of Israel — all cities of Israel — into ruins. We have eliminated most of this threat, although the work is not finished,” he said.

“The question now is the elimination of Hezbollah. This is linked to the broader campaign against Iran, which, despite media reports, is still in full swing. We are determined to fundamentally change the situation in Lebanon,” Netanyahu added.