Israel's defense minister has said a buffer zone will be set up inside southern Lebanon and that Israel will keep security control over a swathe of the territory even after the end of the current war against the armed group Hezbollah. Israel Katz said the area to be occupied would go up to the Litani River in southern Lebanon - about 30km (18.6 miles) from the border with Israel. He also said all houses in Lebanese villages near the Israeli border would be demolished. Lebanon's Defence Minister Maj Gen Michel Menassa said Katz's remarks reflected a clear intention to impose a new occupation of Lebanese territory. European nations, Canada, and the UN also criticized Israel's announcement.
Israel sent ground troops into southern Lebanon on March 2nd and has been launching broad strikes across the country. The action was taken after Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel in retaliation for the assassination of Iran's supreme leader. Since early March, at least 1,238 people have been killed in Lebanon, including at least 124 children, according to the Lebanese health ministry, while 10 Israeli soldiers and two civilians have died in attacks from Hezbollah. The ongoing conflict has displaced over one million people in Lebanon, exacerbating the country's humanitarian crisis.
UN aid chief Tom Fletcher recently addressed concerns about growing displacement and noted that healthcare facilities are severely impacted due to the violence. Katz's latest assertions indicate a long-term military presence in southern Lebanon, which has raised significant alarm among Lebanese officials and international observers. Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun described the plans as collective punishment against civilians and a scheme to expand Israeli territory.
Israel sent ground troops into southern Lebanon on March 2nd and has been launching broad strikes across the country. The action was taken after Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel in retaliation for the assassination of Iran's supreme leader. Since early March, at least 1,238 people have been killed in Lebanon, including at least 124 children, according to the Lebanese health ministry, while 10 Israeli soldiers and two civilians have died in attacks from Hezbollah. The ongoing conflict has displaced over one million people in Lebanon, exacerbating the country's humanitarian crisis.
UN aid chief Tom Fletcher recently addressed concerns about growing displacement and noted that healthcare facilities are severely impacted due to the violence. Katz's latest assertions indicate a long-term military presence in southern Lebanon, which has raised significant alarm among Lebanese officials and international observers. Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun described the plans as collective punishment against civilians and a scheme to expand Israeli territory.
