Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu orders military expansion in southern Lebanon

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed his military to expand its security buffer zone in southern Lebanon, as tensions between Israel and Iran escalate. In a video statement from the Northern Command on Sunday, Netanyahu stated that his country’s goal is to “fundamentally change the situation in the north” of Israel.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces have advanced in multiple areas of southern Lebanon, pushing towards the Litani River in an effort to drive out Hezbollah. The group entered the conflict in early March after retaliatory attacks on Israel following the killing of Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

According to Al Jazeera’s reporting from Tyre in southern Lebanon, fighting between Hezbollah and Israel has intensified over recent hours. Israeli troops have reached a tributary of the Litani River south of the town of Qantara, on the eastern front near al-Muhaysibat.

The conflict has resulted in significant loss of life, with at least 1,238 people killed since Lebanon was drawn into the war on March 2. The toll includes 124 children and over 3,500 wounded, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. On Saturday and Sunday alone, 49 people were killed, including 10 rescue workers and three journalists.

The United Nations reports that more than 1.2 million people have been displaced due to the conflict. Hundreds of mourners gathered in Choueifat, south of Beirut, for the funerals of three journalists who were killed by an Israeli air strike while covering the war. The attack was denounced by Lebanon as a “blatant crime”.

The Committee to Protect Journalists has documented at least 11 Israeli killings of Lebanese journalists and press workers since the start of hostilities. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot stated that journalists working in war zones “must never be targeted”, including when they have links with parties to the conflict.

As the situation continues to unfold, Al Jazeera’s reporting provides a detailed account of the developments on the ground.

Source: Al Jazeera