Israel Plans a New “Safe” Zone in Southern Lebanon

Israel has ordered residents living south of the Litani River to leave, following a surge in Hezbollah rocket attacks that have escalated tensions with both Israel and Gaza.

The Litani River lies roughly 30 km from the Israeli border, covering about eight percent of Lebanon’s territory. Israeli troops have erected new forts and demolished houses in abandoned villages, citing the area as a stronghold for Iran‑backed militants—though it has long been home to Christians and Sunnis.

On March 24, Defence Minister Katz announced the destruction of five bridges over the river and pledged continued control over the remaining ones. He stated that troops would remain as long as “terrorism and missiles” posed a threat.

The army’s spokesperson dubbed the Litani a “northern security line,” while the Prime Minister described the expansion as a buffer to keep anti‑tank weapons away from Israeli towns. Israel claims thousands of soldiers have massed near the border and that limited incursions into Lebanese territory have occurred, though 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. The group 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 targeted 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: it invaded in 1978 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.