Israel Plans a New “Safe” Zone in Southern Lebanon

Israel has ordered people living south of the Litani River to leave. The move comes after Hezbollah fired rockets at Israeli towns and sparked a larger conflict with Israel and Gaza. The Litani River is about 30 kilometres from the border, and roughly eight percent of Lebanon lies to its south. Israeli troops have built new forts there and demolished houses in empty villages. They claim the area is a stronghold for Iran‑backed militants, but it has long been home to Christians and Sunnis. On March 24, Defence Minister Katz said Israel had destroyed five bridges over the river and would keep control of the rest. He added troops would stay as long as “terrorism and missiles” were a threat. The army’s spokesperson called the Litani the “northern security line. ” The Prime Minister described the expansion as a larger buffer to keep anti‑tank weapons away from Israeli towns. Israel says thousands of soldiers have massed near the border and that they have carried out limited incursions into Lebanese territory. No official date for a larger operation has been set. Lebanon’s government remains silent on the plans. Hezbollah warned that occupying the south would be an existential threat and vowed to fight any Israeli presence.Hezbollah has fired rockets from both sides of the Litani, causing damage and casualties in Israel. Israeli troops are clashing with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, while air strikes have hit the south, east, and Beirut. More than one million people in Lebanon are displaced, with over a thousand deaths reported since the war began. Civilians fear that an occupation could bring Israeli forces closer to Beirut, as expressed by a displaced woman in the capital. Israel has a history of occupying southern Lebanon. In 1978 it invaded after attacks near Tel Aviv, backed the South Lebanon Army, and returned in 1985 with a wider zone. It withdrew in 2000 after two decades of occupation, but returned again in 2023 following a new round of attacks from Hezbollah. Israel also creates buffer zones elsewhere. In Gaza it destroyed villages along the border to protect nearby civilians, killing many Palestinians in the process. It has taken strategic positions in Syria and plans a demilitarised zone from Damascus to Mount Hermon. The new plan in Lebanon mirrors past actions and raises concerns about further displacement and instability.