Israel is intensified its pressure on Hezbollah with a series of blockades to isolate the terror group’s strongholds in southern Lebanon.
The Israel Defense Forces already declared all beaches along Lebanon’s 70-km coastline between the Israeli border and Litani River off-limits.
The move builds on a series of other restrictive measures already in place. Lebanese officials say Israel has essentially cut off Hezbollah’s access to the Lebanese-Syrian border in the Beqaa Valley. Israeli forces recently bombed a nearly four-km-long Hezbollah tunnel connecting Lebanon and Syria. The tunnel was part of a network of crossings overseen by Hezbollah’s Unit 4400, responsible for transporting weapons and personnel between the two nations.
Israel has destroyed eight other border crossings.
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The blockade’s extends into Lebanese airspace. Israeli forces recently intercepted an Iranian aircraft, forcing it to turn back before it could land at Beirut’s Rafik al-Hariri International Airport. Other Iranian and Iraqi planes have faced similar restrictions. Israel reportedly hacked the airport’s communication system to send warnings directly to pilots.
Israel has expanded its ground operations with the immediate goal of creating a buffer zone between the border and Hezbollah’s nearby strategic positions. The army is also advancing along Lebanon’s coastal road in the direction of Tyre and Sidon.
Over one million Lebanese residents, mostly from the south and the Beqaa Valley, have fled their homes to escape the violence, of whom roughly 400,000 have crossed into Syria.
Israeli officials have suggested that the displacement of civilians may serve as a political lever to pressure Hezbollah and the Lebanese government. “The problem of the displaced is becoming a significant lever of political pressure in the hands of Israel,” one Israeli source told The Press Service of Israel.
Within Lebanon, there are signs that the conflict’s toll on civilians and the elimination of Hezbollah’s leadership could pave the way for a political settlement. Discussions among Lebanese political leaders aim facilitate the safe return of displaced Lebanese civilians, initiate a new election process, and establish a new political order reducing Hezbollah’s influence.
After the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, the Iran-backed Hezbollah began firing rockets and launching drones at northern Israel communities, killing 49 people. According to figures released by the government on Sept. 29, more than 68,000 residents of northern Israel are displaced from their homes. Hezbollah leaders have repeatedly said they would continue the attacks to prevent Israelis from returning to their homes.
Israel’s war goals include securely returning northern residents to their homes.
Israeli officials demand Hezbollah to be disarmed and removed from southern Lebanon in compliance with UN Security Council resolution 1701 which ended the Second Lebanon War of 2006. This includes all areas south of the Litani River such as the cities of Nabatieh and Tyre, as well as the Beqaa Valley in eastern Lebanon.
