The Israeli Defense Minister, Israel Katz, has stated that Israel intends to maintain a military presence in southern Lebanon after the end of the conflict, citing security reasons. The announcement comes amid escalating violence in the region and an increasingly severe death toll. Israel will destroy all homes in the Lebanese villages near the border, and the 600,000 people who have fled from the south will not be allowed to return home until northern Israel is safe.
According to the Israeli official, after the completion of military operations, the Israeli army will remain in southern Lebanon to create a security buffer zone.
“At the conclusion of this operation, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) will establish themselves in the security zone within Lebanon, on a defensive line against anti-tank missiles, and will maintain control over the security throughout the entire area up to the Litani River“, Katz declared in a video message, according to Agerpres.
The Litani River is located approximately 30 kilometers north of the border between Israel and Lebanon, and the plan involves military control of the entire region up to this limit.
Return of civilians, blocked
The Minister of Defense emphasized that the civilian population evacuated from southern Lebanon will not be able to return to the area anytime soon.
“The return to the south of Litani of the over 600,000 inhabitants from southern Lebanon, who were evacuated to the north, will be completely hindered as long as the security and safety of the inhabitants of northern Israel are not guaranteed”, he specified.
The Israeli official also announced drastic measures in Lebanese localities at the border. “All houses in the (Lebanese) localities adjacent to the border with Israel will be demolished following the model of Rafah and Beit Hanoum in the Gaza Strip, to once and for all eliminate any threat along the border for the (Israeli) inhabitants of the north”, Katz said.
The reference concerns the cities of Rafah and Beit Hanoun, heavily affected by the Israeli military operations in the war against the Hamas group.