Israel plans to occupy the first line of villages in southern Lebanon to prevent rocket fire, Israeli media reported on Wednesday, Anadolu reports.
Channel 12 said the political echelon intends to instruct the army to occupy any area in Lebanon from which anti-tank weapons are launched, “until further notice.”
“Israel intends to control all areas that threaten the population, especially the first line of villages in southern Lebanon,” the channel said, without specifying these villages.
“This is merely a bargaining chip until they come to retrieve it on Israel’s terms,” the channel said, citing an unnamed senior Israeli security source.
“The Lebanese government has no other way but to dismantle Hezbollah, as this is the most effective measure,” the source said.
The Israeli army has escalated its airstrikes across Lebanon in recent days amid cross-border attacks with Hezbollah, despite a ceasefire deal that has been in place since November 2024.
According to Lebanese authorities, at least 968 people have been killed and 2,432 injured in Israeli strikes across Lebanon since March 2.
The current escalation followed a joint US-Israeli offensive on Iran, which has killed around 1,300 people since Feb. 28. Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries, which it says are targeting “US military assets.”
