Israeli Minister Says Military Destroyed Over 60 Villages in Southern Lebanon
Katz Describes Destruction in Southern Lebanon
Israeli defence minister Israel Katz stated in a television interview on Channel 14 that the Israeli military had destroyed more than 60 villages across the so-called security zone in southern Lebanon. [1] Katz said every single village in the zone, totaling 23,000 homes, is in ruins along with underground infrastructure and tunnels. [1] He added that there are no residents left and that 200,000 people have been displaced. [1] Katz described the approach as the Gaza model that has been implemented in the area. [1] Israeli forces have been systematically levelling villages across the south for months, repeating a strategy that has seen more than 80 percent of Gaza wiped from the face of the earth. [1]
Context of the Ceasefire and Ongoing Violations
Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has subsided since a US-brokered ceasefire came into force in June. [1] Israeli forces regularly violate the ceasefire with airstrikes in the south. [1] They continue to occupy hundreds of square kilometres of Lebanese territory inside the so-called yellow line. [1] Israeli forces are refusing to withdraw until Hezbollah is completely disarmed. [1] The UN estimated last month that as many as 360,000 Lebanese remained displaced due to Israel's occupation. [1]
Israeli minister says military destroyed over 60 villages in southern Lebanon. — Source: middleeasteye
UN Displacement Figures
The UN estimated last month that as many as 360,000 Lebanese remained displaced due to Israel's occupation. [1] Katz boasted that every single village in the so-called security zone, totaling 23,000 homes, is in ruins along with underground infrastructure and tunnels. [1] He stated there are no residents left and that 200,000 people have been displaced. [1] These figures were presented during the minister's appearance on Channel 14, where studio applause followed his description of the destruction. [1]
Recent Threats to Expand Israeli Control
Katz visited Israeli occupying forces in southern Lebanon last week. [1] During the visit he threatened to seize more territory if Hezbollah resumes attacks on Israel. [1] Katz said that if Hezbollah joins Iran in an attack on Israel it will be dealt a heavy blow and lose additional territory in southern Lebanon in the areas of Nabatieh and the Litani River, which will become part of a permanent Israeli security zone. [1] The minister made these statements while addressing the forces on the ground. [1]
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Timing Ahead of Israeli Elections
The minister's comments came 10 days ahead of Israel's general election. [1] The incumbent far-right parties have competed for votes by bragging about the military's violence and the brutality shown towards Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. [1] Katz made his remarks in the Channel 14 interview that highlighted the scale of destruction in southern Lebanon. [1] The timing placed the statements in the midst of this electoral competition among far-right parties. [1]
Broader Lebanese Displacement and Historical Parallels
A Middle East Eye opinion piece recounts the author's 2006 visit to southern Lebanese villages that have now been more or less obliterated by the Israeli military. [2] The piece notes that the 2006 war killed approximately 1,200 people and left swathes of territory saturated in unexploded ordnance with neighbourhoods and villages reduced to rubble. [2] It references the author's later returns to Lebanon and observations of villages later affected after Israel's 2023 actions in Gaza expanded to Lebanon. [2] The same piece cites UN displacement figures alongside these personal accounts of repeated destruction in the region. [2]
What to watch next: Katz warned that Hezbollah involvement in any Iranian attack would result in loss of additional Lebanese territory up to the Litani River, while far-right parties continue to highlight military actions ahead of the election.
