Israel to keep security control in southern Lebanon, demolish border villages
Israel to keep security control in southern Lebanon, demolish border villages
Israel's defence minister outlines a buffer zone in southern Lebanon, keeping security control up to the Litani River and demolishing border homes as clashes with Hezbollah continue.
Israel's defence minister, Israel Katz, announced a plan to create a buffer zone inside southern Lebanon and to maintain security control over a broad swath of territory even after the current war with Hezbollah ends. He said the zone would extend up to the Litani River, about 30km from the border with Israel, and that all houses in Lebanese villages near the border would be demolished.
Lebanon's defence minister, Maj Gen Michel Menassa, criticised the remarks as reflecting a 'clear intention to impose a new occupation of Lebanese territory', signalling deep tensions between the two neighbours.
The statement comes as the Israeli Defense Forces have been operating in southern Lebanon since March 2, with broad strikes across the country. Hezbollah rockets into northern Israel followed Israel's late February assassination of Iran's supreme leader, triggering renewed fighting after a fragile ceasefire that was in place since 2024.
Lebanese authorities say the toll has been mounting: the health ministry reports about 1,238 people killed in Lebanon since early March, including at least 124 children, while 52 health workers have died. In Israel, officials say 10 soldiers and two civilians have been killed by Hezbollah attacks.
The IDF said it had killed two Lebanese journalists in the south, describing them as terrorists, though the details were not immediately clear. The remarks from Israeli officials drew criticism from European nations, Canada and the UN, which urged restraint and humanitarian access.
Experts say the plan could reshape border security and displacement in the region, with civilians likely bearing the brunt of any new occupation line.
