Lebanon’s Culture Minister Ghassan Salamé has described Israel’s military campaign in southern Lebanon as an “invasion”, saying entire villages have been destroyed and more than one million people displaced.
Speaking on Euronews, Salamé rejected the idea that the operation is limited in scope, arguing that it marks a significant escalation in the conflict. He said the situation has entered a more dangerous phase, pointing to what he described as a shift in Israel’s military strategy on the ground.
The conflict intensified in early March when the Iran-backed group Hezbollah began launching rockets into Israel, prompting retaliatory strikes. According to the United Nations, more than one million people have since been internally displaced and over 1,000 killed, including humanitarian and medical workers.
Salamé warned that proposed plans for a buffer zone south of the Litani River could amount to a long-term territorial move, arguing that the scale of destruction in southern Lebanon is unprecedented. He said entire communities have been flattened, leaving little infrastructure for civilians to return to.
The humanitarian impact, he added, is severe, with roughly one in five Lebanese now displaced. Aid efforts have been further complicated by ongoing fighting, with reports of strikes hitting ambulances and relief convoys.
Lebanese authorities have established hundreds of shelters across the country, though officials acknowledge the response is being stretched by the intensity of the conflict.
Lebanon has also accused Israel of threatening its sovereignty and is preparing to raise the issue at the UN Security Council, while continuing efforts to pursue diplomatic channels to de-escalate the crisis.
via Euronews
