A United Nations post near a concrete wall built by Israel close to the border with Lebanon, seen from Naqoura, November 28, 2025. (Archive photo: Reuters)
No respite in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military, which continues its invasion into Lebanese territory and continues to demolish houses in several border villages, is considering establishing a "buffer zone" similar to the Yellow Line in Gaza, extending up to 3 kilometers from the border with Lebanon, according to Israeli media.
In this context, military officials state that the Israeli state "would not be able to disarm Hezbollah, as that would require occupying the entirety of Lebanon," and note that any potential cease-fire in Iran "should not be linked to halting the fighting in Lebanon."
On Friday, Israeli radio station KAN announced that the deployment mission on the "anti-tank line" in Lebanon, about eight kilometers from the Israeli border, will be completed within about a week. The objective? "To prevent the possibility of anti-tank missile fire" toward northern Israel. The radio also noted that Israeli political leaders will discuss the next step and "the possibility for Israel to maintain a security strip through permanent posts, or another method of defense that does not involve a physical presence inside Lebanese territory." According to sources cited by Channel 12, the Israeli army is preparing to present a plan to the political leadership to "destroy villages in southern Lebanon, as part of its efforts to expand the buffer zone and to ensure that residents do not return to live in these border villages."
This information aligns with other reports relayed Friday by Israeli outlet Ynet news. According to this site, the army said that the objectives of the war against Hezbollah are mainly "to significantly weaken the terrorist organization, to create a deep defensive line, and to destroy dozens of homes located on the front line of villages, similar to the Yellow Line in the Gaza Strip."
Israeli army and the disarmament of Hezbollah
In this context, army officials quoted by Israeli daily Haaretz said they "would not be able to disarm Hezbollah, as that would require occupying the entirety of Lebanon," adding that "only the Lebanese state could disarm this group."
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz was quick to contradict these statements, following a situation assessment with military officials. "Israel remains committed to disarming Hezbollah by military and political means," he emphasized, according to comments reported by the Times of Israel.
"Israel’s policy in Lebanon has been and remains clear: the primary objective is Hezbollah’s disarmament by military and political means, regardless of the Iranian question," he explained, noting that the Israeli army is completing its ground offensive in southern Lebanon up to the line from which Hezbollah is able to launch anti-tank missiles at Israeli localities. "The houses in villages near the border in Lebanon, which in every respect serve as Hezbollah outposts, will be destroyed in accordance with the Rafah and Khan Younis model in Gaza, in order to eliminate the threat to Israeli communities," he threatened.
Katz added that the Israeli army "will maintain security control" up to the Litani River, and that "the return of the 600,000 residents of southern Lebanon who have been displaced will not be permitted until the security of residents in northern Israel is ensured." "The army will continue to target Hezbollah leaders and fighters throughout Lebanon, in addition to the 1,000 terrorists who have already been eliminated since the start of the war," Katz added.
Similarly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated, according to the Times of Israel, that ground forces are continuing their advance in southern Lebanon. "We are expanding the security zone in order to protect northern communities" in Israel, he claimed.
In this context, Haaretz reported that in the coming days, the Israeli army plans to present political leaders with a proposal to establish a "security zone" in southern Lebanon, stretching 2 to 3 kilometers from the Israeli border. "Under this plan, no military outposts will be built in this area, and most civilians living in the villages will be evacuated to avoid conflict between the troops and the civilian population."
No connection to Iran
The officials cited by Haaretz added that a "possible cease-fire in Iran should not be tied to stopping the fighting in Lebanon, which should continue." The Israeli army is indeed seeking "to ensure that Hezbollah fighters will not return to villages located in the security zone" and believes that the Shiite party still possesses "several thousand rockets, most of them short-range." So far, according to the army, few fighters have been spotted in villages closest to the border, but infrastructure used by the Iranian-backed group and weapons have been discovered, some not detected in the previous 2023-2024 war. "Others have been brought in since, reflecting Hezbollah's reconstruction efforts," the army added.
One month after the war began on March 2, the Israeli army released its latest figures Friday, claiming to have "eliminated 1,000 Hezbollah fighters, including a large number of senior commanders and hundreds of al-Radwan force men, and attacked more than 3,500 targets in Lebanon."
This article originally appeared in French on L'Orient-Le Jour.
