On June 8, 2026, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed Israelis after a night of renewed escalation, framing Israel’s strikes in Lebanon and Iran as a direct response to what he described as violations of the ceasefire and an attempt by Iran and Hezbollah to impose a new “equation” on Israel. Netanyahu said Hezbollah had fired into Israeli territory from Lebanon and that Iran had attacked Israel, prompting him to order strikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut and on military and economic targets across Iran. He warned that Israel would respond forcefully to any renewed attack, while stressing that the current round of fire had stopped only after Israel struck back. “Not on my watch,” Netanyahu said, pledging that Israel would continue to defend itself and restore security to the north.
The following is the full text of the statement.
Dear citizens of Israel,
One year ago, we launched a historic preemptive strike against Iran’s intention to destroy us with atomic bombs. We thwarted that immediate threat, and we also eliminated the tyrant Khamenei.
Had we not acted in time and with force, we would not be here today. And I pledge - and pledge again - Iran will not have nuclear weapons. We acted with the same determination against Hezbollah.
Hezbollah planned to invade the Galilee with thousands of terrorists, while at the same time planning to devastate Israel’s cities with 150,000 rockets and missiles. We thwarted that threat too, and we eliminated Nasrallah. And I want to tell you: our heroic fighters - how shall I put it - are beating Hezbollah to a pulp.
We continue to destroy all of their terrorist infrastructure in the security zone, including in enormous underground facilities in the Beaufort Ridge, so large that I have never seen anything like them. Iran and Hezbollah are weaker than ever, and we are stronger than ever. But our struggle with them is not yet over.
Over the past 24 hours, Iran and Hezbollah have tried to impose a new equation on us. And that equation is intolerable and unacceptable to me. They thought they could fire at Israel from Lebanese and Iranian territory, and that we would not act.
That did not happen, and it will not happen. Not on my watch. As I have done for decades, I firmly uphold our right to act against our enemies.
That is how we acted now as well. After Hezbollah fired into Israeli territory, I ordered the IDF to strike terrorist targets in Beirut and to eliminate Hezbollah operatives there. We did so.
After Iran attacked Israel, I instructed the IDF to strike military and economic targets across Iran. We did that too. At the moment, the fire on this front is being held because after we struck the terrorist regime in Iran, it stopped attacking us.
If the terrorist regime makes the mistake of attacking us again, we will respond with force, because Israel has the full right to self-defense, and we exercise it whenever necessary.
I say this to you, dear citizens of Israel, just as I say it with appreciation and respect in my good conversations with my friend President Trump. With unity, determination and wisdom, we will defend the State of Israel, and together, with God’s help, we will restore security to the north.
Source: “Statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.” YouTube, (June 8, 2026).