Israel to Expand Invasion in Southern Lebanon

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Sunday that Israel plans to push its ground offensive deeper into southern Lebanon. Speaking at a news conference, Netanyahu said the Israeli military intends to widen what he described as a “security belt” along the border. The goal, he said, is to prevent cross-border attacks and move anti-tank missile threats farther away from Israel’s northern communities. Israel’s defense minister had raised the possibility of expanding operations earlier in the week.

The fighting in southern Lebanon began after the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah started firing on Israel following the first joint U.S.–Israel strike on Iran on Feb. 28. Since March 2, the conflict has taken a heavy toll. Reports indicate that nearly 1,200 people have been killed and more than 3,400 wounded in Lebanon, while 19 people have died in Israel.

Many Lebanese civilians who have been forced from their homes reacted angrily to the announcement. Mohammad Doghman, who fled the southern city of Nabatieh, accused Israel of acting like “an expansionist state.” Others worry the military push could turn into a prolonged occupation. Mohammad Wansa, currently staying in a tent in central Beirut, said residents have endured this pattern before. “They take it, and we take it back again, like every time,” he said, expressing hope that displaced families will eventually return to their homes.

Humanitarian organizations have warned that the fighting is causing widespread destruction in residential areas and increasing the number of civilian casualties. Netanyahu’s statement has also raised international concern that Israel may conduct a long-term campaign in Lebanon similar to its war in Gaza.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres cautioned that the approach used in Gaza should not be repeated in Lebanon and urged both Hezbollah and Israel to halt the violence. Israeli officials, however, say their forces will remain in southern Lebanon until they believe Israeli civilians are no longer threatened by Hezbollah attacks.

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