How Israel’s ‘Buffer Zone’ Plan Could Redraw The Map Of Southern Lebanon

Najia Houssari

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Lebanon faces what officials described as “one of the most dangerous moments in recent memory” after Hezbollah launched attacks on Israeli forces from areas both south and north of the Litani River, triggering a renewed Israeli air and ground campaign. Announcing its ground incursion into southern Lebanon, Israel said it aims to establish what it called a permanent “security zone” along the border.

The exact depth of the proposed zone remains unclear, but its humanitarian cost is already emerging. More than 80 towns and villages have been emptied following successive evacuation orders, forcing tens of thousands of residents to flee north of the Litani River. Orders to vacate have also reached Beirut’s southern suburbs, where residents have been told to leave their homes and not expect to return until Israel decides the time is right.