IDF Clears Lebanon Security Zone of Infrastructure
The report says civilian homes, public buildings, and schools are being systematically destroyed as part of an effort to “clear the area” within a buffer zone established by Israeli forces along the border.
The IDF is continuing large-scale demolitions in villages in southern Lebanon despite the current ceasefire with Hezbollah, according to a report in Haaretz citing multiple field commanders.
The report says civilian homes, public buildings, and schools are being systematically destroyed as part of an effort to “clear the area” within a buffer zone established by Israeli forces along the border.
Israeli officials have maintained that Hezbollah embeds weapons and tunnel infrastructure inside civilian areas, and that military operations target that infrastructure. However, commanders quoted in the report said demolitions are being carried out broadly, without clear distinction between buildings used by Hezbollah and those not involved.
Entire towns are reportedly being leveled, with the work often carried out by civilian contractors. Some of those contractors are said to be compensated based on the number of structures demolished.
According to the commanders, the approach mirrors tactics previously used in Gaza, where large sections of built-up areas were razed during fighting. One officer cited in the report said the objective is to prevent residents from returning to villages near the border.
Defense Minister Israel Katz outlined a similar policy last month, stating that homes in border villages would be demolished following models used in Rafah and Beit Hanoun, with the goal of removing threats near Israel’s northern frontier.