Israeli Forces expand buffer zone in southern Lebanon amid rising Hezbollah attacks

Lebanon 03-04-2026 | 12:49

Israeli Forces expand buffer zone in southern Lebanon amid rising Hezbollah attacks

Tensions escalate along the Israel-Lebanon border as Israeli forces demolish border villages to widen the buffer zone, while Hezbollah retaliates with multiple missile attacks targeting northern settlements.

Annahar

Israeli Forces expand buffer zone in southern Lebanon amid rising Hezbollah attacks

Israeli military build‑ups on the border with Lebanon (AFP).

Israeli forces continue their incursion into southern Lebanon, carrying out operations to demolish homes in border villages in order to expand the buffer zone along the border with northern settlements, according to Israeli statements.

The Hebrew site Walla News reported that the Israeli army detonated dozens of houses in Ayta ash-Shab this morning, noting that this border town had witnessed demolitions of homes and housing complexes during the previous war in 2024, and in the period following the ceasefire on November 27, 2024.

Furthermore, the Israeli Channel 12 quoted sources saying that the Israeli army is preparing to present a plan to the political leadership to destroy villages in southern Lebanon as part of efforts to expand the buffer zone.

It added that the goal of destroying the Lebanese villages is to ensure that there is no return to living in border villages.

Israeli artillery bombarding southern Lebanon towns (AFP).

Israeli aims to occupy Lebanon?

In this context, Haaretz reported the Israeli army saying that they will not succeed in disarming Hezbollah, and that this requires a full occupation of Lebanon.

The Israeli army added that the full occupation of Lebanese territory is not a goal of the war, and that Lebanon alone can dismantle Hezbollah's weapons, pointing out that the buffer zone project in southern Lebanon will not include setting up military headquarters or Israeli army positions.

It also stated that most of the buffer zone in southern Lebanon will be evacuated of residents to prevent friction, noting that they cannot ensure that Hezbollah fighters will not return to the towns in the buffer zone.

Regarding the ceasefire in Iran and Lebanon, the Israeli army said there is no link between a potential ceasefire in Iran and stopping the war in Lebanon, which might continue afterward.

Hezbollah operations

Furthermore, Hezbollah continues to launch missile attacks toward Israel amidst direct confrontations with the Israeli army in southern Lebanon.

Today, the party launched five salvos of missiles from southern Lebanon toward the Upper Galilee, announcing that Kiryat Shmona settlement was bombed four times with missiles.

It also targeted the Metula settlement with missiles as part of the warning directed at a number of settlements.