Israeli Defense Minister: Israel will continue to control the southern Lebanon "buffer zone" after the conflict ends

Israeli Defense Minister Katz issued a video statement on March 31, stating that after the current conflict ends, Israel will continue to control the “buffer zone” south of the Litani River in southern Lebanon. Katz said that all residents evacuated from southern Lebanon will not be allowed to return to their homes until security is guaranteed in northern Israel, and all houses in villages near the temporary border with Lebanon will be demolished.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said on March 29 that he had instructed the Israel Defense Forces to expand the “buffer zone” controlled in southern Lebanon and planned to “fundamentally change the situation in northern Israel.”
On the same day, Netanyahu issued a statement from the IDF Northern Command, saying he had assessed the situation with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, and other officials. However, he did not disclose the specifics of the discussions. He stated that Israel is conducting a “multi-domain operation” to strike Iran and its “proxies,” and to create “obvious cracks” within Iran.
Since February 28, the United States and Israel have launched large-scale military strikes against Iran, and Iran has retaliated against U.S. military bases in the Middle East and targets such as Israel. As Iran’s main regional ally, Hezbollah in Lebanon began launching rockets into northern Israel on the evening of March 2. Israel responded with intense airstrikes on southern and eastern Lebanon, as well as Beirut, and launched ground operations in southern Lebanon. ( Xinhua News Agency )