BEIRUT, (PIC)
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) have intensified airstrikes and artillery attacks across southern Lebanon, expanding operations beyond border areas in a widening military escalation, as concerns grow that Israel is replicating its Gaza genocide strategy in the Lebanese arena.
Lebanese media reported on Thursday sustained strikes targeting multiple towns, including Bint Jbeil, Khiam, Nabatieh, and areas in the Bekaa Valley, alongside coastal strikes as far north as Saadiyat and Jiyyeh, roughly 20 kilometers south of Beirut, areas traditionally outside Hezbollah’s core zones of influence.
Additional strikes hit towns such as Tebnin, Kfar Sir, Zibqin, Yater, and others, while artillery shelling targeted the outskirts of Nabatieh.
Local reports also indicated repeated air raids on towns in Marjayoun and Hasbaya districts, signaling an expanding geographical scope of Israeli operations.
The escalation comes as Israel has issued warnings to civilians south of the Zahrani River to evacuate northward, cautioning that remaining in the area could put their lives at risk.
According to Lebanon’s health ministry, more than 2,089 people have been martyred since Israel resumed its offensive on March 2.
In response, Hezbollah announced a series of military operations targeting Israeli sites and troop concentrations along the southern front.
The group said it struck positions in Bayyada, near Bint Jbeil, and the Hamamis hill area near Khiam, in addition to targeting the headquarters of Israel’s 146th Division in the settlement of Ga’aton using drones.
Hezbollah also reported hitting a Merkava tank with a guided missile near northeastern Bint Jbeil, claiming a direct strike.
Sirens sounded across several northern Israeli settlements, including Kiryat Shmona, Karmiel, and Hanita, as well as areas in the Upper and Western Galilee, following the launching of rockets and drones from Lebanon.
Israeli media reported that air defenses intercepted at least one drone over the Western Galilee.
Military developments on the ground have coincided with reports suggesting that Israel is adopting a strategy in southern Lebanon similar to its approach in Gaza, destroying homes, evacuating border areas, and establishing a de facto buffer zone.
According to Israeli media leaks cited in the report, the IOF has increased its ground presence and is constructing additional military sites along the border, potentially laying the groundwork for a long-term “security belt,” despite official denials.
Soldiers quoted in the reports said engineering units are using bulldozers to demolish buildings and villages near the border to create open zones for military deployment, tactics similar to those used in Gaza.
Some of the same units previously involved in demolitions in Gaza have reportedly been redeployed to the Lebanese front.
While Israeli officials continue to deny plans for a permanent buffer zone, field accounts suggest otherwise, with one soldier reportedly saying the new positions appear designed for long-term occupation rather than temporary deployment.
The complex terrain of southern Lebanon, characterized by hills and densely populated villages, is seen as giving Hezbollah an operational advantage compared to the relatively flat geography of Gaza, raising concerns among Israeli forces about the sustainability of the current approach.
The escalation is unfolding alongside renewed diplomatic efforts led by the US, which recently announced an agreement between Lebanon and Israel to begin direct negotiations following trilateral talks in Washington.
The meeting, attended by US secretary of state Marco Rubio and senior Lebanese and Israeli officials, marked the first high-level contact between the two sides since 1993.
However, Israeli sources suggested the negotiations may be a political maneuver by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to buy time while continuing military operations, presenting a façade of diplomatic openness to the US administration.
Despite talk of potential agreements covering security arrangements and reconstruction, developments on the ground indicate that military escalation is advancing more rapidly than diplomatic efforts, reinforcing concerns that the Gaza model is being replicated both militarily and politically in Lebanon.