Netanyahu says Hezbollah must be pushed back to Litani

JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Hezbollah must be pushed back beyond the Litani river, with or without a ceasefire deal in place, and that the Iran-backed group must be prevented from rearming.

"With or without an agreement, the key to returning our (evacuated) residents in the north safely to their homes is to keep back Hezbollah beyond the Litani, to strike its every attempt rearm, and to respond forcefully against all action against us," Netanyahu said during a visit to the border with Lebanon.

The Litani river is roughly 30 km inside Lebanon from the border with Israel.