Ben Gvir discusses Israel's 'settlement plan' for south Lebanon

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Thursday evening that Israel had a "settlement plan for Lebanon," while negotiations are currently taking place between the two countries to end the war.

The Israeli army, it should be recalled, occupies a "buffer zone" of several hundred square kilometers in southern Lebanon. Ben-Gvir, known for his far-right positions, called in his speech for the annexation of all the West Bank. He made these remarks on the occasion of "Jerusalem Day," commemorated by Israelis on May 15 after the annexation in 1967 of the eastern part of the holy city.

At an event in a Talmudic school in Jerusalem attended by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, also from the far right, Ben-Gvir added that he also had "plans to encourage the emigration of the residents of Gaza and the West Bank."

"The time has come to finally erase the lines separating areas A, B, and C. I presented a detailed plan to the cabinet this week, and I am calling on the prime minister to adopt it. All the Land of Israel belongs to us," he declared, referring to the division lines in the West Bank occupied by Israel following the Oslo Accords. According to this division, Palestinian enclaves are located in the non-contiguous areas A and B, while Israeli settlements are in "Area C."

While Israeli authorities officially claim not to have expansionist aims in southern Lebanon, some extremists regularly support the idea of establishing settlements there. This is particularly the case with the "Uri Tzafon" organization, made up of several families, who would like Israel’s northern border to be pushed up to the Litani River, about 30 km north of the Blue Line.