Netanyahu orders expansion of military operations in southern Lebanon
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the military to expand its "security buffer zone" in southern Lebanon as forces advance toward the Litani River.
1:40 AM
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military to further expand its operations in southern Lebanon on Sunday, directing forces to extend what he describes as a "security buffer zone" along Israel's northern border.
"I have just instructed to further expand the existing security buffer zone. We are determined to fundamentally change the situation in the north," Netanyahu said in a video statement from the Northern Command.
The expansion comes as Israeli forces advance in multiple areas of southern Lebanon in a concerted push toward the Litani River, with the stated objective of driving out Hezbollah. Netanyahu cited the group's continued capability to launch attacks, saying "Hezbollah still has a residual capability to launch rockets at us."
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that Israel will maintain control over the "security zone" in southern Lebanon up to the Litani River until the threat from Hezbollah is eliminated. Netanyahu said the decision was made following an assessment of the situation conducted with military commanders and defense officials.
The prime minister framed the expansion as necessary to prevent anti-tank missile launches and rocket attacks against Israel's northern communities. He referenced other territories under Israeli control as examples of how the situation in the Middle East has changed.
The military operation in southern Lebanon began in mid-March following increased attacks by Hezbollah. According to reporting, Israel's plans for a deeper ground incursion into Lebanon predate the current fighting with Iran. Israel has been engaged in operations against Hezbollah since shortly after October 7, 2023, when the group fired rockets in support of Hamas.
The expansion announcement occurs amid escalating regional tensions tied to the broader U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran. Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Shiite militant group, entered the conflict after the killing of Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.
An explosion at a United Nations position in southern Lebanon killed a peacekeeper as Israeli forces continued their advance toward the Litani River.
In a separate development, an Israeli footballer dressed in military uniform was seen opening fire in southern Lebanon in a video posted by Israel's Channel 14 on Saturday. Menashe Zalka, 35, who plays for Hapoel Hadera in the Israeli Premier League and is enlisted in the army's paratrooper brigade as a reserve, was shown firing a machine gun and throwing a grenade from a damaged building in a residential area. The video was verified by Al Jazeera. Zalka previously served in Israel's operations in Gaza for hundreds of days as a reserve soldier.
Netanyahu also addressed an incident involving the head of the Catholic Church in Jerusalem. The prime minister defended Israeli police actions that prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to attend Palm Sunday Mass. Netanyahu stated the decision was made for security reasons in the context of the war with Iran, citing Iranian missile attacks on sacred sites. He announced that the Israeli government is planning measures to allow the Christian community to observe Holy Week in Jerusalem.