Israel's Tactics in Lebanon's Heavy Offensive: Army Ordered to Destroy Bridges and Demolish Houses
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had ordered the military to destroy all bridges over the Litani River that are used by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and “accelerate the demolition of Lebanese houses,” according to Reuters, AFP and The New York Times.
Israel's campaign against Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite group founded by Iran's Revolutionary Guards in the 1980s, has so far displaced more than a million people in Lebanon. More than 1,000 people have been killed in the country so far, according to the Lebanese authorities.
Minister Katz said the order was given to prevent Hezbollah militants from approaching the border with Israel in southern Lebanon.
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I have ordered the IDF (Israel Defense Forces, no) to immediately destroy all bridges over the Litani River that are used for terrorist activities to prevent Hezbollah terrorists and weapons from moving south,” the Israeli defense minister said in a statement.
Israeli army ordered to 'accelerate demolition of Lebanese houses'
The army, Minister Israel Katz added, was also ordered to “accelerate the demolition of Lebanese houses in contact villages to thwart threats to Israeli communities.”
The official said he had ordered demolitions “on the model of Rafah and Beit Hanoun”, two cities in Gaza, largely destroyed by Israeli forces during the two years of war in the Palestinian enclave.
International law generally prohibits the military from attacking civilian infrastructure. The UN human rights chief criticized Israeli actions in Lebanon, particularly the use of large-scale evacuation orders.
On Sunday, prior to the communique sent by the Israeli government, Hezbollah fire killed a first Israeli citizen, in an Israeli town in the border area. In total, at least 15 civilians have died in Israel since the start of the war with Iran and Tehran-aligned militias.
So far, two Israeli soldiers have also been killed in the fighting in southern Lebanon.
Buffer zone in southern Lebanon
Israel has created a buffer zone in southern Lebanon, and many locals fear that the situation could turn into another occupation, as happened after the 1982 invasion.
“I feel this is preparation for an occupation, and I'm afraid history will repeat itself,” Iman Ibrahim, 30, a woman who fled her village of Blida as hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah escalated this month, told the NYT. “Everything we used to hear from our grandparents about the occupation we are experiencing now,” the woman added.
Minister Israel Katz recently warned that Lebanon could face territorial losses if Hezbollah is not disarmed.
