Israel Targets Bridges in Lebanon, Plans Security Zone Control Up to Litani River
Israel targets Hezbollah routes, aims to control south Lebanon up to the Litani River; civilians remain displaced.
Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz on Tuesday announced that the Israeli military will take control of southern Lebanon up to the Litani River, following ongoing strikes against infrastructure used by the Iran-backed Hezbollah. During a visit to a military command centre, Katz said all five bridges over the river, previously used by Hezbollah for transporting weapons and personnel, have been destroyed.
The Israeli military reported that a bridge across the Litani River was demolished overnight to disrupt the movement of rockets, launchers, and other arms by Hezbollah. Katz emphasised that remaining bridges and the security zone up to the river will be fully controlled by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF).
Katz stated that the hundreds of thousands of South Lebanon residents displaced by the conflict “will not return south of the Litani River until security is guaranteed for the residents of the north” of Israel. He cited the military strategy used in Rafah and Beit Hanoun in Gaza, where cities were largely destroyed and remain under Israeli military oversight, as a model for operations in southern Lebanon.
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The Defence Minister also noted that operations are targeting Hezbollah infrastructure as well as homes in Lebanese contact villages near the border, which he described as terror outposts. Many towns and villages along Israel’s northern border remain largely empty and damaged from the previous Israel-Hezbollah war, which ended with a ceasefire in November 2024.
Lebanon became involved in the Middle East conflict when Hezbollah launched rocket attacks into Israel on March 2 in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Since then, Israel has carried out extensive strikes across Lebanon, reportedly killing at least 1,039 people and displacing over a million civilians.
Israeli ground forces have also entered southern Lebanon as part of the campaign, intensifying the conflict and heightening concerns about the humanitarian impact on border communities. The ongoing military operations underscore Israel’s objective to neutralise Hezbollah’s capabilities while maintaining control over strategic zones along the northern frontier.
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