Jerusalem/Beirut: Israel has announced the establishment of a buffer zone inside Lebanese territory and ordered its troops to seize additional strategic positions along the border, marking a significant escalation in the northern front of the widening regional conflict.
Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed the expanded operations in a statement on Tuesday, linking the move directly to the security of Israeli civilians.
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I have authorised the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to advance and take control of additional strategic positions in Lebanon in order to prevent attacks on Israeli border communities,” Katz said.
Military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin elaborated on the ground reality, stating that troops were actively creating a security buffer.
“In practice, Northern Command has moved forward, taken control of the dominating terrain, and is creating a buffer, as we promised, between our residents and any threat,” he said.
Lebanese Army Redeploys
The Israeli advance prompted an immediate response from the Lebanese army. A Lebanese military source told AFP that soldiers were redeployed from several recently established border positions on Tuesday due to the Israeli “escalation.”
“Lebanese troops numbering in total eight to nine soldiers at each point, were redeployed to their bases because of the danger to their safety,” the military source confirmed.
The move underscores the vulnerability of the Lebanese state, which has been drawn into a war it did not declare following Hezbollah’s decision to launch rockets at Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Hezbollah Under Fire
The Israeli military has unleashed a massive wave of strikes against Hezbollah infrastructure. The IDF reported hitting more than 160 Hezbollah targets “throughout south Lebanon,” including members of the elite Radwan Force.
In a significant blow to the militant group, the military confirmed it had killed Hezbollah’s intelligence chief, Hussein Muakalled.
Later on Tuesday, the Israeli military reported that several projectiles were fired from Lebanon towards Israel, with a majority intercepted. However, one rocket struck a house in the border village of Yuval, lightly injuring one person from glass shrapnel, according to first responders.
Hezbollah claimed it had targeted three Israeli military bases in response to the strikes on its strongholds.
Warnings in Tyre
The IDF also issued a rare warning to residents in parts of the coastal city of Tyre, home to a UNESCO World Heritage site, stating it would strike Hezbollah assets in the area. Residents of specific buildings were told to evacuate.
AFPTV reported a series of air strikes hitting Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah-dominated area, without prior warning. The military stated it had hit Hezbollah command centers, weapons storage facilities, and satellite communication components in the capital.
‘Determined to Eliminate’ Hezbollah
Israeli military chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir stated that Israel was “determined to eliminate” Hezbollah until it is disarmed.
While Israel has maintained it is not planning a full-scale ground invasion of Lebanon, a Lebanese army source expressed concern over “Israel’s attempt to establish a broad security belt in south Lebanon.” The military has stated that “all options are on the table” to halt incoming rocket fire.
