Israel plans to occupy part of southern Lebanon after the war against Hezbollah, says minister

He evokes a military presence maintained up to the Litani River, and at this stage excludes the return of hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians.

Published on 03/31/2026 at 14:45

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A willful assumption of control. Israeli Defense Minister Israël Katz declared on Tuesday, March 31, that Israel intends to occupy a part of southern Lebanon permanently once the war is over. “The IDF will settle in a security area within Lebanon, on a defensive line against anti-tank missiles, and will maintain security control over the entire area up to the Litani River,” said Israël Katz in a video released by his office. The Litani River flows about thirty kilometers north of the border between Israel and Lebanon.

According to the Israeli minister, over 600,000 displaced Lebanese citizens to the north will not be allowed to return to their homes in that region, “until security and safety of the residents in the north” [of Israel] “are guaranteed.” He also mentioned the systematic destruction of houses in villages near the border, “modeled after Rafah and Beit Hanoun” in the Gaza Strip.

These statements come in the context of a regional war triggered on February 28, after Israeli-American strikes against Iran. Since March 2, and Hezbollah’s firing towards Israel, Israeli bombardments have resulted in over 1,200 deaths in Lebanon, according to local authorities. Human Rights Watch has expressed “strong concerns,” stating that the ban on civilians returning could constitute “forced displacement” and therefore “a war crime.”