Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Sunday that he has ordered the Israeli military to further expand its military operations in southern Lebanon, as the Iran-backed Lebanese armed group Hezbollah continues to launch rockets into Israeli territory.
Last week, Israel stated that it is expanding a military “buffer zone” to the Litani River. It is not yet clear whether Netanyahu’s directive to expand operations refers to that specific area or a broader scope.
In a video statement released by the Israeli Northern Command on Sunday, Netanyahu said, “I have now instructed to further expand the existing security zone to ultimately thwart invasion threats and push the firepower of anti-tank missiles away from our borders.”
His office declined to provide further details, and the Israeli Security Cabinet has not yet discussed the matter.
Last week, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz had mentioned that the Israeli military would “control the remaining bridges and the security zone up to the Litani River.” The river flows into the Mediterranean Sea approximately 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the Israeli border.
Following the US and Israel’s actions against Iran, the Iran-supported Hezbollah has also started launching rockets into Israel.
Sources familiar with Hezbollah’s numbers informed Reuters that over 400 Hezbollah fighters have been killed since launching a new round of warfare against Israel on March 2.
According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, over 1,100 Lebanese have died since Israel responded with airstrikes and ground operations, although the data does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
The Israeli military reported that four IDF soldiers were killed in combat in southern Lebanon.
Netanyahu noted that his current decision aims to strengthen the security position of Israel’s northern border.
“We have eliminated thousands of Hezbollah terrorists, and most importantly, we have eliminated the significant threat of 150,000 missiles and rockets aimed at destroying Israeli cities,” he said. However, he added, “Hezbollah still has residual capabilities to launch rockets at us… We are determined to fundamentally change the situation in the north.”
He also mentioned that Israel is conducting multi-front operations, including targeting Iran and its allies Hezbollah and the Gaza-based extremist group Hamas. Israel’s actions are weakening Iran’s influence in the Middle East.
(Reference: Reuter’s report)