Israel vows to occupy swathes of southern Lebanon to expand buffer zone | Lebanon

Israel has announced plans to occupy parts of southern Lebanon and demolish homes along the border, raising concerns about the forced displacement of approximately 600,000 residents. The move comes as fighting continues with Hezbollah, with Israeli forces pushing further into Lebanese territory.

Israel Plans Buffer Zone and Demolitions in Southern Lebanon

Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that following the conclusion of operations against Hezbollah, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would control the area up to the Litani River, establishing a buffer zone roughly 19 miles from the Israel-Lebanon border. Katz indicated the IDF would eliminate Radwan forces and destroy weapons in the area.

He further stated that homes near villages would be destroyed “in accordance with the Rafah and Beit Hanoun model in Gaza,” referencing the widespread destruction of homes and infrastructure in those Gazan neighborhoods. Human Rights Watch has suggested these statements could constitute war crimes, specifically forced displacement and wanton destruction.

An Israeli military spokesperson, Maj Doron Spielman, claimed that “every home in southern Lebanon, the Shiite homes, are command centres.”

Israel launched its military campaign in Lebanon after Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel on March 2nd, in response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Israeli airstrikes have targeted Hezbollah positions across Lebanon, while ground troops have advanced approximately 18 miles south of the Litani River.

The immediate objective of the Israeli invasion is to push Hezbollah away from the border to prevent rocket attacks on northern Israeli communities. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the military to expand the buffer zone, though the extent remains unspecified. Most of Hezbollah’s rocket fire originates north of the Litani River, and the group maintains significant weapons caches in the Bekaa Valley.

Israeli troops have made rapid progress, reaching the town of Bayada on Sunday, just 8km from Tyre. This advance is faster than during the 2024 war, when Bayada was reached only days before fighting ceased. Forces are also moving closer to towns in the Nabatieh district, which would provide a strategic high ground overlooking the Litani area.

On Tuesday, Israel conducted airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut.

The Lebanese army withdrew from positions in the Christian-majority towns of Rmeish and Ain Ebl on Tuesday as Israeli troops advanced, despite protests from residents. These towns had largely avoided Israeli strikes and the army had been providing aid and facilitating evacuations.

Ten Israeli soldiers have been killed by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, while two civilians in northern Israel have been killed by Hezbollah rocket fire. At least 1,268 people in Lebanon have been killed by Israeli attacks, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Health.

Three peacekeepers from the Lebanese UN mission (Unifil) have been killed in separate incidents on Sunday and Monday. Two Indonesian peacekeepers were injured by an explosion near Aadshit al-Qusayr, resulting in one fatality. Another two Indonesian peacekeepers were killed by an explosion near Bani Hayyan. Unifil and the Israeli military are investigating the attacks.

The UN Undersecretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, condemned the incidents, calling for an end to actions endangering peacekeepers. The EU also condemned the attacks, and the UN Security Council is scheduled to hold an emergency session on Tuesday at France’s request. During the 2024 war, Unifil peacekeepers were also targeted by both Israeli forces and Hezbollah rocket fire.

More than 1 million people have been displaced by Israel’s invasion of Lebanon, with over 80% lacking official state shelter. Medical facilities and critical infrastructure, including bridges, water treatment plants, and power stations, have been damaged or destroyed by Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon.

Analysts predict social and political disaster in Lebanon if the south is permanently occupied and residents are prevented from returning, given that most of the population already lived in poverty before the current conflict.