Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Christian villages in southern Lebanon have asked to be annexed by Israel, claiming they sought protection from Hezbollah.

In an interview with Fox News' The Sunday Briefing he said: "Some of them have actually asked to be annexed to Israel, because we protect them against the Hezbollah, Hezbollah fanatics who want to kill them, and we do the same things with Christians everywhere," though he did not name any villages.

But Hanna al-Amil, mayor of the Christian village of Rmeish, told Lebanese public broadcaster NNA that it wasn't true and that even entertaining the idea was "absolutely out of the question". He said 15 Christian towns had issued a joint statement two days earlier rejecting the allegations.

Those villages reaffirmed on Friday their intent to remain on their land, citing their "loyalty to their national identity" and "attachment to their Lebanese flag".

Christian communities in southern Lebanon have been directly affected by the war, which began 2 March after Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel following the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes.

Israel's subsequent airstrikes and ground invasion have displaced millions and killed more than 4,000 people, with Israeli troops still occupying territory near the border. Christian villages have faced shelling, airstrikes, displacement, and infrastructure damage. Most residents have stayed to protect their homes, churches, and farmland, though some villages were partially or fully evacuated.

During the war, the Israeli military has contacted mayors and officials in several Christian-majority villages, warning them not to let in "strangers," a reference to Hezbollah fighters.

Israel has said it's committed to maintaining its military presence in southern Lebanon "as long as necessary" to protect residents of northern Israel.

In the same interview Netanyahu also addressed reported friction with US President Donald Trump over the deal that ended the war with Iran, describing the US-Israel relationship as one where the two sides "see eye-to-eye" 99 percent of the time but "discuss openly" occasional disagreements.