The Israeli Defense Minister, Israel Katz, confirmed this Tuesday that Israel will assume military control of southern Lebanon up to the Litani River, an area that represents approximately 10% of Lebanese territory and comprises 150 municipalities, with more than 200,000 displaced inhabitants following evacuation orders issued by the Israeli Army.
Katz defended the measure as a “security zone” to protect northern Israel from possible attacks by the Shiite militia Hezbollah, accused of maintaining missiles and training combatants in the region. “The principle is clear: where there is terrorism and missiles there will be no houses or residents, and the army will be inside,” assured the minister, comparing the strategy with the Israeli occupation of Gaza and southern Lebanon in previous decades.
Concern over the mission of the UN blue helmets
The announcement raises concern about the UN blue helmets mission, which monitors the area since 1978. The contingent, made up of about 10,000 soldiers from more than 50 countries, including 650 Spaniards, could be left without effective supervision, as the Security Council decided not to renew the mandate beyond the end of 2026.
The Israeli offensive has already destroyed strategic bridges and roads over the Litani to isolate the region from the rest of Lebanon, while the Army maintains selective bombings on Hezbollah positions. According to Lebanese sources, the escalation has caused more than a thousand deaths in recent weeks, with a large part of the civilian population displaced or trapped in their homes.
Hezbollah and the Lebanese Government denounce an existential threat, recalling the consequences of previous occupations that caused massacres, destruction of homes, and the death of civilians under the supervision of the United Nations. Despite this, Israel persists in its strategy, backed by nationalist and military sectors that seek to consolidate a permanent defensive line on the southern border and advance the idea of a “Greater Israel,” according to recent statements by the Israeli Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich