Key facts
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited occupied southern Lebanon, stating Israel will not withdraw until the threat from Hezbollah is removed.
- The visit occurred after a U.S.-mediated security agreement for Israel to hand over two areas to the Lebanese army.
- Operation Silver Plow has led to the destruction of nearly 100% of villages in western and central sectors of the contact line.
- Hundreds of thousands of Lebanese civilians have been displaced and are not permitted to return to the border zone.
- Israel plans a long-term presence in Lebanon and links continued rocket fire to further assaults.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited occupied southern Lebanon, telling soldiers that Israel would not withdraw from the country's south as long as Iran-backed Hezbollah continued to pose a threat. This marks the first visit to occupied Lebanese territory since a U.S.-mediated security agreement was reached, under which Israel will hand over two areas to the Lebanese army.
Netanyahu stated, 'Our insistence is that we will not leave southern Lebanon until the threat is removed,' referring to Hezbollah. He added, 'And as long as Hezbollah remains here, armed and threatening us, we will remain here as well.' The Israeli military has created a 'buffer zone' approximately 10 km into Lebanon along the border, forcing local populations from their homes and destroying infrastructure, including tunnels used by Hezbollah.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz had previously stated that the destruction and depopulation of Shia villages along the southern Lebanon border was an inevitable objective of Operation Silver Plow, a military operation initiated in April. Katz reported that nearly 100 percent of villages in the western and central sectors of the contact line have been destroyed, with 73 percent in the eastern sector. He asserted that the Israeli army 'will not retreat an inch' until this goal is achieved, viewing the dismantling of infrastructure as a significant blow to 'jihadist organisations.' Reports indicate the Israeli military has been systematically demolishing homes, schools, and government buildings, with some soldiers admitting to destroying everything to 'clear the area.'
Under the U.S.-backed security agreement, Israel is to withdraw from two 'pilot zones' and allow the Lebanese armed forces to take control. Hezbollah has repeatedly objected to negotiations between Israel and Lebanon and is not part of the talks. Iran has demanded a ceasefire in Lebanon as part of its negotiations with the U.S. to end the wider conflict. Lebanon's health ministry reports over 4,200 Lebanese have been killed and more than a million displaced by Israel's campaign since March.