Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel is moving deeper into southern Lebanon to establish what he called a “forward line of defense” against Hezbollah. He said the military is maneuvering into Lebanese territory, destroying Hezbollah infrastructure and houses in border villages that Israel says have been turned into terror outposts. The announcement marks a major escalation in Israel’s campaign to push Hezbollah farther from the border and prevent renewed attacks on northern Israeli communities.

Katz’s remarks come as Israel signals it intends to maintain military control over a broader swath of southern Lebanon, with reports indicating the zone could extend as far as the Litani River. Israeli officials have framed the move as a defensive necessity, arguing that Hezbollah has used villages, roads, and other infrastructure to stage rocket fire and move fighters and weapons near the frontier. Hezbollah, in turn, has condemned the plan and signaled that any long-term Israeli presence would be treated as a direct threat.

The fighting in Lebanon has intensified sharply since Hezbollah entered the wider regional war in early March, following the February 28, 2026 outbreak of conflict involving Israel, the United States, and Iran. Reuters reported that more than 1,070 people have been killed in Lebanon and that more than one million have been displaced as Israeli strikes expanded across the country. The scale of the destruction has fueled international concern, even as Israel insists the campaign is aimed at breaking Hezbollah’s operational grip on the south.

Israel has also targeted bridges and other infrastructure that it says Hezbollah uses for movement and supply, while pressing ahead with ground operations in the south. The strategy reflects a broader Israeli effort to create a hardened security belt that would deny Hezbollah easy access to the border and make future cross-border attacks more difficult. For Israel’s supporters, the message is clear: after years of Hezbollah entrenchment, Jerusalem is now acting to change the security reality on its northern front by force.