Netanyahu orders military to expand security buffer zoneexpand security buffer zone in southern Lebanon
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military on March 29, 2026, to expand the security buffer zone in southern Lebanon during a visit to the Northern Command. The move aims to counter Hezbollah rocket and anti-tank missile attacks following the group's entry into the broader US-Israel war against Iran in early March. Israeli forces are advancing toward the Litani River amid ongoing ground operations.
This expansion signals Israel's intent to reshape security along its northern border and alter regional dynamics, despite Hezbollah retaining attack capabilities. Lebanese authorities report over 1,100 deaths from Israeli strikes and operations, including civilians and medical staff, while Israel notes four soldier deaths. The decision raises risks of a wider ground assault and humanitarian concerns in southern Lebanon.
Israeli Perspective
Netanyahu stated the expansion thwarts Hezbollah's invasion threat and pushes missile fire away from Israel's border. Israel has eliminated thousands of Hezbollah fighters and dismantled much of their rocket arsenal aimed at Israeli communities. The operations restore security to the north with strength and determination while changing the Middle East's strategic landscape.
Lebanese/Palestinian Media Perspective
Israeli actions have killed over 1,100 people in Lebanon since early March, including children, women, and medical staff, with thousands wounded. The buffer zone expansion turns southern Lebanon into a humanitarian crisis with intensified fighting. Netanyahu's orders involve seizing more Lebanese territory south of the Litani River.
- The Litani River, Lebanon's longest at 170 km, originates in the Bekaa Valley and shapes southern Lebanon's strategic geography.
- Hezbollah, founded in 1982 during Israel's Lebanon invasion, evolved from a resistance group into a powerful political force.
- Israel first created a security zone in southern Lebanon in 1985, withdrawing fully in 2000 under UN Resolution 425.
Israel-Lebanon War
Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a 60-day ceasefire that mandates Israeli troop withdrawal from southern Lebanon while the Lebanese army deploys across all border crossings and the south.
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