Khaberni - Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz said on Tuesday that the army will occupy southern Lebanon up to the Litani River, in the first statement of its kind revealing Israel's intention to control large areas constituting about a tenth of Lebanon’s territory.
In a meeting held today with the Chief of Staff, Katz said the army "will control the remaining bridges and the security zone up to the Litani River." The Litani River meets the Mediterranean Sea about 30 kilometers north of the Israeli-Lebanese border.
Hezbollah said it would fight to prevent Israeli forces from occupying southern Lebanon, describing this move as an "existential threat" to the Lebanese state.
Hassan Fadlallah, a Lebanese parliament member and a leader in Hezbollah, said that any Israeli occupation south of the Litani will be met with resistance. He added to Reuters, "We have no choice but to confront this aggression and cling to our land."
Since March 13, the Israeli military has destroyed five bridges over the river and intensified house demolition operations in Lebanese villages near the border as part of a campaign Israel says targets Hezbollah, not Lebanese civilians. International law generally prohibits attacks on civilian infrastructure, including homes and bridges.
Katz had previously threatened the Lebanese government with the loss of lands if it does not disarm the Tehran-backed Hezbollah group. Hezbollah dragged Lebanon into the American-Israeli war on Iran when it fired at Israel on March 2.
The Israeli military has declined to comment on the defense minister's statements. The military previously announced that ground forces are carrying out limited and targeted raids near the border with Israel. Israel has penetrated Lebanon multiple times in recent decades and occupied the south until 2000.
Katz stated that there can be no homes or residents in areas of southern Lebanon that witness "terrorism", clearly referring to the Hezbollah group whose fighters continue to launch missile and drone attacks daily towards Israel and engage in battles with Israeli forces in southern Lebanese villages.
Katz mentioned that Israeli soldiers are maneuvering in Lebanon to establish an "advanced defensive line", fighting Hezbollah militants, and destroying infrastructure used by the group including houses he described as "terrorist hideouts".
Reuters
