Lebanese Local Leaders Reject Claims of Requests for Annexation to Israel

Municipalities, local officials, and community leaders from roughly 15 Christian-majority villages in Southern Lebanon have formally denied claims made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that residents of these areas requested annexation to Israel. The local leaders characterized reports of such requests as entirely fabricated and disconnected from the reality of their situation.

What prompted the denial from Southern Lebanese villages?

The collective statement was issued in response to comments made by Benjamin Netanyahu during an interview with Fox News. In the interview, the Prime Minister alleged that several Christian villages in Southern Lebanon had reached out to Israeli authorities to seek protection from Hezbollah and requested to be “annexed to Israel.” Netanyahu claimed, “Some Christian villages in Lebanon have even asked to be annexed to Israel, because we protect them against Hezbollah.”

In a joint response, representatives from 15 villages—including Aïn Ebel, Alma el-Chaab, Debel, Deir Mimas, Rmeich, and Qlayaa—rejected these assertions. The signatories emphasized that residents remain committed to the Lebanese state and consider Lebanon their permanent homeland. They described the allegations as an attempt to exploit their suffering and distort their political stance for foreign agendas.

Which communities are involved in the statement?

The villages involved in the rebuttal include a mix of Christian, Druze, and Sunni populations residing in the border region. The full list of signatory villages includes:

• Abou Qamha
• Aïn Ebel
• Alma el-Chaab
• Bourj el-Moulouk
• Boueida
• Debel
• Deir Mimas
• Ebel el-Saqi
• Jdeidet Marjeyoun
• Kaoukaba
• Qlayaa
• Qaouzah
• Rachaya el-Foukhar
• Rmeich
• Sarda

What is the current status of these villages?

Many of these locations are currently situated within a zone of military operations. According to reports, several of these villages have been isolated from the rest of Lebanon for months, falling within an area where the Israeli military has established a presence covering more than 600 square kilometers in Southern Lebanon.

The political context of this region remains volatile. Last week, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that Israeli forces intend to remain in the “security zone” established in Southern Lebanon, as well as in parts of Syria and the Gaza Strip, for an indefinite period. Local leaders in the affected villages maintain that despite these “extremely difficult conditions imposed by the war,” they have not deviated from their allegiance to the Lebanese state.

Key Takeaways

• Direct Rebuttal: Local leaders from 15 Southern Lebanese villages issued a joint statement denying they ever sought annexation to Israel.
• Source of Allegations: The claims originated from an interview given by Benjamin Netanyahu to Fox News, where he cited the villages’ desire to be “rid of Hezbollah.”
• Geographic Context: The signatory villages are currently located within a 600-square-kilometer area of Southern Lebanon where Israeli forces have maintained a presence.
• Official Stance: The village representatives reiterated their pride in their national identity as Lebanese citizens, rejecting any suggestion that they wish to change their national status.