Jerusalem, 24 March, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar praised Beirut’s decision to expel the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon on Tuesday while one expert told The Press Service of Israel that the practical impact of the move remains uncertain.
“I welcome the decision of the Lebanese foreign minister to expel the Iranian ambassador-designate from Lebanon,” Sa’ar tweeted. “This is a justified and necessary step against the state responsible for violating Lebanon’s sovereignty, for its indirect occupation through Hezbollah, and for dragging it into war.”
The Lebanese government declared Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Reza Sheibani persona non grata and ordered him to leave the country by Sunday.
Sa’ar added, “We call on the Lebanese government to take practical and meaningful measures against Hezbollah, whose representatives still serve as ministers within it.” He was referring to Lebanese Minister of Health Rakan Nassereddine and Minister of Labor Mohammad Haidar.
Beirut accuses the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps of ordering Hezbollah to attack Israel.
Sarit Zahavi, head of the Alma Research and Education Center, told The Press Service of Israel that Beirut’s move was a “step in the right direction,” but stressed it was too early to make broader judgments.
“If it is just a single symbolic step and nothing more, then it is unlikely to develop into anything significant,” Zahavi said.
She told TPS-IL that the expulsion should not prevent Israel from continuing its military efforts.
“On the contrary, the military campaign actually reinforces the steps taken by the Lebanese government because it weakens Hezbollah from two directions — both through the actions of the Lebanese government and through what we are doing. And that is what needs to be done,” Zahavi explained.
The Lebanese government is obligated to disarm Hezbollah, but Israel has frequently criticized Beirut for failing to deliver on its commitments. In December, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem insisted that the Iran-backed group would not lay down its weapons “even if the entire world unites in war against Lebanon.”
Israel is establishing a security zone in Southern Lebanon south of the Litani River, with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) taking full control of bridges and key positions to prevent Hezbollah attacks, Defense Minister Israel Katz said Tuesday.
“The IDF will continue to operate in Lebanon with full force against Hezbollah. Hundreds of thousands of residents of southern Lebanon who evacuated northward will not return south of the Litani River until security for the residents of the north is ensured,” Katz said during an assessment at the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv with Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and senior officers.
Katz said hundreds of thousands of residents who fled southern Lebanon during the fighting will not be allowed to return until the area is deemed secure.
He accused Hezbollah of acting as “a tool of the Iranian terrorist regime” and criticized the Lebanese government for failing to disarm the group despite prior pledges.
“The IDF is maneuvering into Lebanese territory to seize a front line of defense, eliminate Hezbollah terrorists, and destroy terrorist infrastructure,” Katz said. He compared the operations to Israeli tactics in Gaza, targeting houses in border villages used as Hezbollah outposts.
Five bridges over the Litani previously used by Hezbollah to move fighters and weapons have been destroyed. Katz said Israel will control the remaining bridges and the security zone up to the river, creating a buffer to protect northern Israeli communities.
The ceasefire of November 2024 requires Hezbollah to withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon and prohibits it from operating south of the Litani River.
Following Hamas’ attack on October 7, 2023, Hezbollah began daily rocket fire at northern Israeli communities, prompting thousands of residents to flee. Since November 2024, Israel has carried out numerous airstrikes against Hezbollah activities in violation of the ceasefire. The ceasefire completely collapsed on March 2 when Hezbollah fired rockets at northern Israel following the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, marking the terror group’s first launches in more than a year.