Israel advances in the occupation of southern Lebanon

The Minister of Defense of Israel, Israel Katz, confirmed this Tuesday the destruction of five bridges over the Litani River, in southern Lebanon, and stressed that the Army “will control the rest” within the framework of its offensive, in which it seeks to create “a security zone” and for which it has once again drawn a parallel with “the model” applied in the Gaza Strip after the attacks of October 7, 2023.

“All five bridges over the Litani that Hezbollah used to transport terrorists and weapons have been demolished and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will control the rest of the bridges and the security zone up to the Litani,” he said, after Israel launched a new ground invasion of the neighboring country.

Israel advances in the occupation of southern Lebanon

Thus, he stressed that “the principle is clear: there is terrorism and missiles, not houses or residents.” “The IDF is inside,” he said, while insisting that “Hezbollah made a serious mistake by attacking Israel, as a tool of the Iranian terrorist regime, and is paying and will pay a high price.”

“The IDF operates and will continue to operate in Lebanon with full force against Hezbollah terrorists and missile launchers,” said Katz, who has accused the Lebanese authorities of “doing nothing” to fulfill their commitment to disarm Hezbollah, despite the progress announced by Beirut, confirmed by the United Nations.

In this sense, he stated that “the IDF is maneuvering in Lebanese territory to capture a defense line, eliminate Hezbollah terrorists and destroy the terrorist infrastructure established there and homes in border villages, which serve as outposts for terrorists.”

Katz argued that Israel acts in this way “in line with the models of Rafah and Beit Hanun, in Gaza, to create a defensive space and keep the threat away from the localities”, in reference to the massive destruction of these localities in its offensive against the Strip, which led to complaints about genocide against the Palestinians.

“Hundreds of thousands of residents of southern Lebanon who have evacuated to the north will not return south of the Litani River until safety is guaranteed for residents of the north (of Israel). “We promised security to the residents of the north and that is what we will do,” he said, according to a statement provided by his office.

“” הגשרים מעל לנהר הליטני שמשמשים לפעילות טרור, כדי למנוע מעבר של מחבלי חיזבאללה ונשק דרומה, ובנוסף לכך להאיץ את הרס הבתים הלבנונים בכפרי המגע כדי לסכל איון למודל בית חאנון ורפיח בעזה.

צה”ל… pic.twitter.com/YA200v1211

— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) March 22, 2026

In this context, the Israeli Army confirmed this Tuesday bombings against “Hezbollah infrastructure” in the capital, Beirut, and other areas of Lebanon, in attacks that left at least six dead, according to Lebanese authorities.

The Israeli Army stated that among the places attacked were “Hezbollah headquarters” in Beirut, including one of the Raduan Force, the elite unit of the Shiite party-militia, as well as “the Intelligence headquarters” of the formation in the Lebanese capital.

“In another attack in the town of Al Tiri, a Hezbollah headquarters on Nur radio was attacked,” he said, thus confirming his responsibility against this medium, while stating that the group “operates systematically from civilian infrastructure in the State of Lebanon.”

The IDF statement stressed that it “will continue to act vigorously against Hezbollah, which has decided to join the campaign and operate under the auspices of the Iranian terrorist regime. “We will not allow it to cause harm to the citizens of the State of Israel,” he added.

The Lebanese authorities raised the death toll to more than a thousand due to the wave of bombings and ground operations launched by Israel after the offensive launched on February 28 together with the United States against Iran.

Israel had already launched dozens of bombings against Lebanon in recent months despite the ceasefire reached in November 2024, arguing that it is acting against Hezbollah activities and ensuring that, therefore, it does not violate the pact, although both the Lebanese authorities and the group were critical of these actions, also condemned by the United Nations.

For Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, however, things are clearer and the operations against Hezbollah appear to be just an excuse. The Litani River must be the new border between us and Lebanon,” he posted on X. “Just as we control 55% of the Gaza Strip, we must do the same in Lebanon.”