Overview
- Netanyahu, in a video message Sunday, said he ordered an expanded buffer inside southern Lebanon and flagged a deeper Israeli occupation there.
- He said the goal is to block cross‑border raids and keep anti‑tank missile launches away from Israeli towns near the frontier.
- He argued Hezbollah still holds a residual rocket capability and cast the push as part of three Israeli “security belts” that also run through parts of Syria and Gaza.
- Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported 1,238 people killed since March 2, more than 3,500 wounded, and over a million displaced, with 49 dead between Saturday and Sunday including 10 rescuers and three journalists.
- Israel describes a security zone as a buffer strip inside enemy territory designed to push threats farther from the border, a posture that could extend Israel’s ground footprint in Lebanon and complicate relief efforts.