Israel Controls South Lebanon to Litani

Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz announced that Israel's military will take control of southern Lebanon up to the Lebanon — Litani River. This action includes the destruction of five bridges over the Lebanon — Litani River, which Israel claims were used by Hezbollah for transporting terrorists and weapons. Israel's military is also destroying Hezbollah infrastructure and houses in Lebanese villages near the border, following a model similar to operations in Rafah and Beit Hanoun in Gaza. Hundreds of thousands of southern Lebanon residents displaced by the ongoing Middle East war will not be allowed to return until security is guaranteed for northern Israel. This development follows a ceasefire in November 2024 between Israel and Hezbollah, which Israel accuses Hezbollah of violating. The current conflict escalated after Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel on March 2, avenging the killing of Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei. Israel has responded with airstrikes and ground troops in Lebanon, causing over a thousand deaths and displacing more than a million people. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has also called for the Lebanon — Litani River to become Israel's new border, turning southern Lebanon into a 'sterile security zone'.