Israel wants southern Lebanon. This is what the Minister of Defense has expressed, Israel Katzthis Tuesday. One day after the head of Finance, the far-right settler Bezalel Smotrichdefended that the new Israeli border must be located on the Lebanese river LitanyKatz has stated that the Army will maintain control of the south of the neighboring country to that demarcation point, 30 kilometers from the border with Israel. In turn, he has said that the troops will prevent the return of residents of that area, which represents more than 10% of Lebanese territory. The minister alleges security reasons for northern Israel, while accusing the Government of the country of the cedars of not having disarmed Hezbollah and promises to continue operations against the group.
Israel thus imports the Gaza model to southern Lebanon, an area that had already been previously occupied for Tel Aviv from 1982 to 2000. “We promised to provide security for the residents of the north, and that is what we will do,” Katz said. According to the minister, the security of its citizens in the border villages depends directly on the presence of the Lebanese population on their side of the border. “Hundreds of thousands of residents from southern Lebanon who evacuated to the north will not be able to return south of the Litani River until the safety of residents in the north is guaranteed [de Israel]”, he declared during a meeting with the Chief of the General Staff of the Israeli Army, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamirand other senior officers. He has also celebrated that all the bridges on the Litani River “have been dynamited”, alleging without evidence that they had been used by Hezbollah to transfer operations and weapons to southern Lebanon.
Intense night in Dahiye
“Israeli forces will control the remaining bridges and the security zone up to Litani,” he added. The attacks have continued over the last few hours in that area and also in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital. Known as Dahiye in Arabic, they have experienced one of the hardest nights so far in the war with seven Israeli bombings. In the eastern suburbs of the capital, which are not under Hezbollah controltwo people have died in what appear to be targeted assassinations by Israel. Also the Israeli capital, Tel Avivhas been hit by an Iranian missile that has injured six people and caused high levels of destruction in a residential area.
In turn, the Lebanese government continues its siege against Hezbollah. This Tuesday the authorities declared persona non grata to the Iranian ambassador in the country and have been ordered to leave the country by Sunday. “Today I have instructed the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants to summon the Iranian Chargé d’Affaires in Lebanon, inform him of the decision to withdraw the agreement for the designated Iranian ambassador, Mohammad Reza Shibanideclare him persona non grata and ask him to leave Lebanese territory no later than March 29, 2026,” wrote the Lebanese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Youssef Raggiin X. A few days ago he also demanded the departure of all members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard from Lebanese territory. The humanitarian crisis affecting the country of the cedars has caused the displacement of a million peopleand the death of 1,039 in Israeli airstrikes.
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