Netanyahu says some Lebanese Christian villages 'asked to be annexed' by Israel

JERUSALEM (AFP) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that some Christian villages in southern Lebanon had asked to be annexed by Israel, in order to be protected from Hezbollah militants.

Lebanon was drawn into the wider Middle East war on March 2 when Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran's supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes.

Israel responded with massive airstrikes and a ground invasion of southern Lebanon, where its troops now occupy ...