Israeli army Tsahal announced on Saturday that it had established a “red line” in southern Lebanon, similar to the one in Gaza. Also known as the “advanced defense line,” the army released a map of this new line on Telegram. This is where they are conducting operations against Hezbollah fighters in the region.
On Monday, Hezbollah vowed to break Israel’s “red line” of separation and insisted that no one can disarm the pro-Iranian movement. Hezbollah’s deputy, Hassan Fadlallah, declared, “We will break this red line through resistance, asserting our legitimate right to defend ourselves and our country.”
What do we really know about this demarcation line?
In Gaza, the “red line” is the boundary between the area controlled by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas and the Israeli army after Israeli troops withdrew as part of the fragile ceasefire in effect since October.
In Lebanon, a similar situation may arise due to strategic reasons and Israel’s need for a buffer zone in preventing Hezbollah rocket attacks on its population.
“Five divisions, including naval forces, are simultaneously operating south of the advanced defense line in southern Lebanon to dismantle Hezbollah’s terrorist infrastructure and prevent direct threats to communities in northern Israel,” said the Israeli army over the weekend.
What has Israel announced?
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had stated that the army would maintain a 10 km “security zone” inside Lebanon to protect Israeli populations near the border.
On Sunday, the army published a map showing its “advanced defense line” extending from the Mediterranean in the west to the Lebanese-Syrian border in the east.
The area includes border villages partially or completely destroyed during clashes between Israel and Hezbollah in the previous war. Israeli troops continued to destroy buildings in these villages even after the truce took effect.
A large portion of the zone’s inhabitants, mainly Shiites, have fled to northern Lebanon, except for a few Christian villages. The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeepers are also stationed in the zone.
“Israel controls the south; Lebanon the north”
Israel’s army reiterated warnings to Lebanese civilians against returning to dozens of villages in southern Lebanon, noting Hezbollah’s continued activities in the area. Israel has repeatedly tried to establish a “buffer zone” in southern Lebanon, from where it withdrew in 2000 after two decades of occupation.
The “defense line” partially follows the curve of the Litani River north of the Lebanese border. General Dominique Trinquand, who once led a battalion of UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeepers, explained the constant push to create a buffer zone between Israel and Lebanon in southern Lebanon.
Since then, the Israeli army has officially committed to remaining “indefinitely” in southern Lebanon, considering the Litani River as the new “security line” with Hezbollah, unless the terrorist group agrees to disarm, according to sources in the Israeli army.
