While the United States and Israel continued their illegal war in Iran, Israel invaded southern Lebanon and began conducting an ethnic cleansing campaign in the area.
Israel moved thousands of troops into southern Lebanon to take control of the region from the Lebanon-Israel border to the Litani River. Israeli forces have systematically targeted and destroyed bridges spanning the river since March 12.
Lebanese officials labeled Israel’s actions as an occupation, saying they violate the country’s sovereignty. Israel previously occupied southern Lebanon from 1982 to 2000, which directly led to the creation of Hezbollah as a resistance group. Israel has invaded Lebanon four times in the past 50 years: in 1978, 1982, 2006 and 2024.
Cities such as Nabatieh have been mostly evacuated as whole blocks are levelled by Israeli air strikes. In Al-Namiriya, a municipality in the Nabatieh district, a family of eight was killed in an Israeli air strike as they ate dinner.
More than 1000 people have been killed since the Israeli invasion, including more than 120 children and 40 medical personnel. One million people have been displaced. More than 128 health facilities have been destroyed or damaged.
Israel has depopulated southern Lebanon and says no one will be allowed back until the Israeli government decides that its northern border is “safe”.
When IDF spokesperson Nadav Shoshani was asked if Israeli positions in Lebanon would remain after the perceived threat from Hezbollah was “dealt with”, he responded “TBD”, signalling that Israel could occupy southern Lebanon indefinitely.
Israel’s finance minister, Ben Smotrich, called for a complete annexation of southern Lebanon and for Israel’s border to be extended to the Litani River.
Israel’s Military chief of staff, Israel Katz, said Israeli forces would “control the remaining bridges and the security zone up to the Litani”, suggesting that the occupation could be prolonged. Katz named the Shia population specifically, saying they could not return to their homes until the safety of Israel’s northern residences is guaranteed.
The massive displacement campaign of the predominantly Shia population in southern Lebanon — where Christians and Druze also live — is reminiscent of Israel’s treatment of the population of Gaza, using large scale evacuation orders and the bombing of critical civilian infrastructure.
United Nations experts have raised the alarm that similar war crimes are taking place in southern Lebanon.
As at March 27, Lebanese media were reporting that Israel had conducted air strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs. The strikes hit densely populated areas and were carried out with no warning.
Australia’s foreign minister Penny Wong has said the Australian government is deeply concerned about the situation, but it has not taken any action and is still a deeply committed ally of Israel.