ISRAEL EXPANDS SOUTHERN LEBANON BUFFER AS DISPLACEMENT GROWS

Israeli military operations and evacuation orders have made large parts of southern Lebanon effectively uninhabitable, extending pressure far beyond the immediate front line with Hezbollah. Reuters reported Thursday that Israeli evacuation orders and military activity now cover roughly 2,000 square kilometres, about one-fifth of Lebanon, after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire failed to stop fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

The expansion began after Israel established a post-ceasefire buffer zone of about 600 square kilometres near the border, according to Reuters. That zone included 57 towns and villages where residents were told to leave. Since then, Israeli strikes and evacuation orders have pushed far beyond that area, including toward regions north of the Litani River and south of the Zahrani River.

Israel says the operations are aimed at Hezbollah threats, not Lebanon’s official government. Reuters reported that Israel says it is targeting Hezbollah infrastructure and preventing the group from rebuilding attack capacity near the border. Israel has also said evacuation warnings are precautionary and meant to move civilians away from areas where Hezbollah fighters or facilities may be present.

The distinction matters. Hezbollah is an Iran-backed armed group and political movement operating inside Lebanon; it is not the Lebanese government. Lebanon’s cabinet, ministries, diplomatic service, and Lebanese Armed Forces are separate state institutions. Israeli operations against Hezbollah still affect Lebanese territory, civilians, infrastructure, and state sovereignty, which is why collapsing those actors into one bucket would be editorially sloppy as hell.

The humanitarian effect is widening. Reuters reported that many villages in southern Lebanon are nearly deserted, with displaced residents fleeing north toward cities including Tyre and Sidon. Reuters also cited satellite nighttime-light data showing major drops in activity across affected areas, a signal consistent with widespread displacement and shutdown of daily life.

The fighting is also spreading closer to Beirut again. Reuters reported Thursday that Israel carried out a strike in Beirut’s southern suburbs, the first near the Lebanese capital in weeks. Israeli sources said the target was Ali al-Husseini, described as the head of a missile division aligned with Hezbollah and Iran. Hezbollah and Iran did not immediately respond in that report.

The ceasefire remains fragile in practice. Reuters reported that Israel said it had struck more than 1,100 targets after the truce, while Hezbollah has continued rocket, drone, and artillery attacks into northern Israel. AP also reported that Israeli forces have pushed toward Nabatiyeh and crossed the Litani River area during intensified operations.

The civilian toll continues to rise. AP reported that more than one million people have been displaced and more than 3,200 killed since hostilities escalated in March, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. Many displaced civilians are sheltering in schools or makeshift camps while U.S.-mediated talks between Lebanon and Israel continue under growing pressure.

The immediate question is whether Israel’s expanded buffer becomes a temporary military measure or a longer-term reality that prevents civilians from returning home. Israel says it is acting against Hezbollah. Hezbollah says it is resisting Israeli aggression. Lebanon’s government is left trying to preserve diplomacy while large areas of its south are emptied by a conflict it does not fully control.

Fact-check date: 28 May 2026
Sources: Reuters, Associated Press

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