Israel Announces Plan to Occupy South Lebanon and Create Buffer Zone
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on March 31, 2026, that the Israel Defense Forces will establish a security buffer zone in southern Lebanon extending to the Litani River. The plan involves the systematic demolition of homes in border villages to prevent the return of approximately 600,000 displaced residents and the neutralization of Hezbollah's Radwan forces. Human rights organizations have warned that such a policy of intentional destruction and permanent displacement could constitute a war crime under international law.