The Israeli army announces completing its advanced deployment in Lebanon

The Israeli army announced on Tuesday that it had completed the deployment of its ground troops in southern Lebanon to an “advanced defense line” against fighters from the Islamist Hezbollah movement.

A Lebanese military source told AFP that the Israeli army had advanced on three axes “between five and nine km” into Lebanese territory.

The Israeli army did not provide precise geographical details on the maximum point of advancement of its soldiers in Lebanese territory.

Several Israeli newspapers indicate that the military does not intend at this stage to push the troops’ advance beyond about twenty kilometers north of the border between the two countries.

The Israeli forces “have now completed their deployment on the ‘anti-tank line’ and continue their operations in the area to strengthen the advanced defense line and move away the threat looming over the residents of northern Israel,” a military statement said.

Israeli Defense Minister Katz has announced several times in recent weeks that Israel intends to establish a “security zone” in southern Lebanon up to the Litani River, about thirty kilometers from the Israeli-Lebanese border, to prevent any rocket, drone, or missile fire from the pro-Iranian Hezbollah into northern Israel.

Anti-tank missiles have a range of about ten kilometers.

According to the Lebanese military source, the Israeli army has advanced about nine kilometers along the coast, reaching the town of Bayada.

In the eastern sector of the border area, “the Israeli army has advanced up to seven kilometers,” stated the source, noting that now the Israeli army controls the strategic town of Khiam.

In the central sector, Israeli forces have been able to progress “up to five kilometers,” according to the same source.

The Israeli army has positioned itself on heights overlooking the areas it has advanced into, particularly in Bayada, a security source on the ground told AFP.

At the end of March, Defense Minister Katz stated that the army would remain in part of southern Lebanon once the conflict in the Middle East ended, and mentioned that “all houses in Lebanese villages adjacent to the border will be demolished.”

The Lebanese military source confirmed that “significant explosions” are regularly heard in the area invaded by Israeli troops, prompting the Lebanese army to withdraw in order to avoid facing them directly.

The Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot reported that the army is expected to present to the government in the coming days “an operational plan to control the first line of villages (Lebanese) as a deep security zone.”

According to Haaretz, “there is currently no plan to advance further into the country.”

Citing military sources, the newspaper wrote that the forces have reached an approved line in operational plans, which includes villages “located about 10 kilometers (south) of the Litani River.”

AFP