More than 60 villages have been wiped out in the country\u2019s south, where the IDF is threatening to establish a permanent military presence<\/p>\n
Israel is threatening to turn its occupation of southern Lebanon into a permanent military presence while pursuing the so-called \u201cGaza model.\u201d RT correspondent Steve Sweeney reports from Beirut on the destruction of entire villages, mass displacement and efforts to secure an Israeli withdrawal.
\nIsraeli Defense Minister Israel Katz declared over the weekend that troops would not withdraw from areas they currently control and warned that the military could advance further towards Nabatieh and the Litani River if Hezbollah launches additional attacks on Israel.
\nKatz claimed that more than 60 villages and 23,000 homes had been destroyed across an Israeli-controlled area of approximately 700 square km in southern Lebanon and that around 200,000 residents had been displaced.\u00a0
\n\u201cAll the villages have been wiped out,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is the Gaza model, and this is the model we are implementing.\u201d\u00a0
\nThe reference is to Israel\u2019s military campaign in Gaza, launched in response to the Hamas-led attack in October 2023, which killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. The offensive has left much of the Palestinian enclave in ruins, displaced most of its population and killed more than 74,000 people, according to local health authorities.
\nFighting in Lebanon has subsided since a US-brokered ceasefire took effect in June, although Israeli strikes and demolitions have continued in the south. The UN estimated that approximately 330,000 people remained displaced as of late September.
\nIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also insisted that the IDF would remain in southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed.<\/p>\n
Read more<\/p>\n
Lebanon. The Yellow Line<\/p>\n
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has accused the Jewish state of violating the June agreement through continued attacks and demolitions. He has also warned that the occupation itself is preventing the Lebanese army from deploying along the internationally recognized border, as required under UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
\nThe latest escalation began in early March, after Hezbollah attacked Israel following the start of US-Israeli strikes on Iran. Israel responded with a major air and ground campaign.
\nThe June agreement envisages a gradual Israeli withdrawal alongside Lebanese army deployments and the removal of Hezbollah\u2019s weapons and infrastructure from designated areas. However, its implementation has stalled.
\nAt least 4,389 people have been killed and 12,424 injured in Lebanon since March 2, according to recent Health Ministry figures.<\/p>\n
READ MORE: Lebanese man tells RT how Israeli strike killed his bride (VIDEO)<\/p>\n
A Lebanese military delegation is due to attend US-brokered talks in Tampa, Florida, on Tuesday, where Beirut will seek an end to Israeli attacks and a timetable for withdrawal.
\n\u201cThe question is whether these talks can deliver an end to occupation or whether Israel intends to make its presence in southern Lebanon a permanent reality,\u201d Sweeney said. Watch the full report below.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
More than 60 villages have been wiped out in the country\u2019s south, where the IDF is threatening to establish a permanent military presence Israel is threatening to turn its occupation…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":40153,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40152","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-environment","category-politics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t