Occupied Palestine (QNN)- Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz has once again confirmed plans to occupy southern Lebanon after destroying “all homes in Lebanese villages,” similar to Gaza’s Rafah and Beit Hanoun, and preventing residents from returning.
Katz said “all homes in Lebanese villages near the border will be destroyed — in accordance with the Rafah and Beit Hanoun model in Gaza,” in order “to remove, once and for all, the threats near the border.”
“At the conclusion of the operation, the IDF will establish a security zone inside Lebanon… and will maintain security control over the entire area up to the Litani River,” Katz said on Tuesday.
He adds that Israel will prevent the return of “more than 600,000 residents of southern Lebanon” to areas south of the Litani River “until the safety and security of northern Israeli residents is ensured.”
He added that Israel will seek to “change the situation in Lebanon” through an ongoing IDF security presence.
The Israeli military has issued expanded leave-or-die threats for Lebanese residents, mandating that all individuals south of the Zahrani River flee north immediately. An Israeli spokesperson warned that those who fail to comply “may endanger their lives due to Israeli military activity.”
The forced displacement threat now extends from the Litani River to areas beyond the Zahrani River, approximately 40 kilometres (25 miles) north of the Israeli border. According to the Norwegian Refugee Council, these orders cover more than 1,470 square kilometres (568sq miles) – about 14 percent of Lebanon’s territory – and affect more than 100 towns and villages.
At the same time, Israeli ground forces are bolstering their presence in southern Lebanon, with officials stating the goal is to establish a “buffer zone.” The Israeli military said in a social media post on Thursday that troops from Division 162 would operate in southern Lebanon “with the aim of expanding” a so-called “buffer zone” in the area.
The deployment of additional troops comes a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military planned to create “a larger buffer zone” in southern Lebanon.
Israel launched an assault on Lebanon in early March after Hezbollah fired rockets towards Israel in retaliation to the US-Israeli assault on Iran and following the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The Israeli military has carried out aerial and ground attacks across Lebanon while issuing mass forced displacement orders for residents of the country’s south, as well as several suburbs of the capital, Beirut.
The humanitarian impact has been devastating.
Within just two weeks, more than 18 percent of Lebanon’s population – more than one million people – has been displaced. Data from the International Organization for Migration indicates that 1,049,328 individuals have been registered as displaced, with 132,742 residing in overcrowded collective shelters. Many families have no choice but to sleep on streets, in vehicles, or in public spaces.
The UN confirmed that more than 1.2 million people have been forced out of their homes since the beginning of March.
The crisis has also prompted a significant exodus from Lebanon. In the past two weeks, more than 250,000 people have fled the country, marking a 40 percent increase since late February. By March 17, more than 125,000 individuals – nearly half of them children – had crossed into Syria. While the majority are Syrian nationals, approximately 7,000 Lebanese citizens have also fled.
Israel’s attacks have also killed at least 1,116 people and wounded 3,229 others, figures from Lebanon’s Ministry of Health showed.
Amnesty International also warned that the destruction of bridges and homes in southern Lebanon reflected Israel’s “record of atrocity crimes” in the Gaza Strip, where it has carried out a genocidal war against Palestinians since October 2023.
“The Israeli military has already extensively destroyed and devastated civilian life in southern Lebanon. The world must not stand by as Israeli leaders shamelessly threaten further destruction and displacement,” the rights group said in a post on X.
“Israel must not be allowed to violate international law with impunity across the region. World leaders must uphold their international legal obligations to halt Israel’s unlawful destruction of civilian property.”
