Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) strikes in southern Lebanon have established a 5-kilometer (3 miles) deep “dead zone” along the border, according to a report by The Financial Times. This area has become largely uninhabitable due to near-daily aerial bombardment, artillery shelling, and the use of incendiary white phosphorus.
Hezbollah has been firing on Israeli positions nearly daily, prompting strong retaliatory strikes by the IDF. The report noted that over 95,000 Lebanese and 60,000 Israelis have been displaced due to the ongoing conflict. Lebanese official Hashem Haidar reported that 3,000 homes in southern Lebanon have been completely destroyed, and another 12,000 have suffered medium-level damage. Additionally, 12,000 square kilometers (7,456 square miles) of agricultural land have been damaged.
The IDF denies creating a buffer zone, asserting that their operations aim to push back Hezbollah to protect Israeli civilians from sniper fire, anti-tank missiles, and cross-border attacks. A senior IDF official stated, “Every third home in south Lebanon is used by Hezbollah for weapons storage, training, firing positions, and meeting points for a possible cross-border attack.”
Despite the devastation, Hezbollah fighters have vowed not to withdraw from southern Lebanon. Lebanese civilians, many of whom have been able to visit their homes only during funerals, have reported that their properties were struck shortly after their visits. Hezbollah members admitted to using abandoned civilian homes for shelter and weapons storage, making them targets for Israeli strikes.
Hezbollah has announced the deaths of 349 of its members, with additional fatalities among other militant groups, a Lebanese soldier, and dozens of civilians in Lebanon.
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