Israel will occupy southern Lebanon up to the Litani River to create a "defensive buffer," Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday, spelling out for the first time Israel's intent to seize territory amounting to nearly a tenth of Lebanon. At a meeting with the military chief of staff, Katz said Israeli forces would "control the remaining bridges and the security zone up to the Litani," a river that meets the Mediterranean about 30 km (20 miles) north of Israel's border.
Lebanese armed terrorist group Hezbollah said it would fight to prevent Israeli troops from occupying southern Lebanon, calling such a move an "existential threat" to the Lebanese state. Senior Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said any Israeli occupation south of the Litani would be met with resistance. "We have no choice but to confront this aggression and cling to the land," he told Reuters. Israel has destroyed five bridges over the river since March 13 and accelerated the demolition of homes in Lebanese villages near the border, part of what it says is a campaign against Hezbollah rather than civilians. Under international law, attacks on civilian infrastructure, including homes and bridges, are generally prohibited.
Katz has previously warned Lebanon's government it would lose territory if it failed to disarm Hezbollah, the terrorist group backed by Tehran that drew Lebanon into the US-Israeli war on Iran when it fired into Israel on March 2. The Israeli military declined to comment on Katz's remarks. It has previously said ground troops were carrying out limited, targeted raids near the border. Israel has repeatedly invaded Lebanon in recent decades, and occupied the south until 2000.
Katz had said there could be no homes or residents in areas of southern Lebanon where there was "terror," in an apparent reference to Hezbollah, whose fighters have continued to launch daily rocket and drone attacks into Israel and battle Israeli troops in southern Lebanese villages. He said forces were establishing a "forward defensive line," destroying infrastructure used by Hezbollah, including homes he described as "terrorist outposts." ( Ed note:The UN human rights chief has criticized Israel's actions due to the fact that one million plus people in the area of Beirut have lost their homes. The army and government of Lebanon can not stop the forces of Hezbollah and the people of the northern and central parts of Israel are sick and tired of the Hezbollah rockets and drones attacking and killing them. Why is the UN criticizing Israel, why won't they go after Hezbollah?) (Read More)
Katz had said there could be no homes or residents in areas of southern Lebanon where there was "terror," in an apparent reference to Hezbollah, whose fighters have continued to launch daily rocket and drone attacks into Israel and battle Israeli troops in southern Lebanese villages. He said forces were establishing a "forward defensive line," destroying infrastructure used by Hezbollah, including homes he described as "terrorist outposts." ( Ed note:The UN human rights chief has criticized Israel's actions due to the fact that one million plus people in the area of Beirut have lost their homes. The army and government of Lebanon can not stop the forces of Hezbollah and the people of the northern and central parts of Israel are sick and tired of the Hezbollah rockets and drones attacking and killing them. Why is the UN criticizing Israel, why won't they go after Hezbollah?) (Read More)
