Israeli troops will stay in Lebanon “as long as necessary”, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says, vowing to make Hezbollah pay a “heavy price” for its attacks, AFP reports.

“Israel will not tolerate attacks on our soldiers or our territory, and it will exact a very heavy price from Hezbollah for these attacks,” Netanyahu says in a statement after the military announced the deaths of four Israeli soldiers in Lebanon.

“Israel will remain in the security zone in southern Lebanon for as long as necessary for the protection of the communities of the north.”