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Israel Eyes New Buffer Zone Deep Inside Lebanese Territory
(MENAFN) Israel's military is weighing plans to establish a fresh "security zone" stretching 2 to 4 kilometers (1.2 to 2.5 miles) into Lebanese territory, part of a broader effort to scale back troop numbers and reposition forces in southern Lebanon, an Israeli public broadcaster reported Saturday.
Israel has maintained a military presence in parts of southern Lebanon for decades, while capturing additional territory during the 2023-2024 war. Its current offensive has pushed the incursion beyond 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) into Lebanese territory — the deepest such advance since Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000.
Citing unnamed security sources, the broadcaster reported that the army is weighing the new zone along the border and preparing to scale down its forces following the destruction of tunnels in the Ali al-Taher heights in southern Nabatieh province.
According to the sources, the redeployment plan — dubbed the "gray line" — would involve setting up positions used to launch operations into Lebanese territory. The plan still requires approval from Israel's political leadership and will be reviewed before any final decision, the broadcaster said.
The report followed comments Friday from Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, who said the army had solidified control over what he termed a "security zone" in southern Lebanon. That statement came a day after the Israeli military claimed it had secured "operational control" over the Ali al-Taher heights.
The area has seen mounting tensions in recent weeks amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes and military operations.
Israel has framed the "gray line" as a new redeployment framework, comparable to its existing "yellow line," which currently marks the boundaries of its military deployment, operations and security control inside Lebanese territory.
The proposal emerges against a backdrop of continued Israeli escalation across southern Lebanon, despite a Beirut-Tel Aviv agreement calling for a phased Israeli withdrawal as part of a US-mediated process.
Since March, Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed more than 4,000 people and wounded over 12,000 others, while displacing more than 1 million people from their homes, according to Lebanese authorities.
Israel has maintained a military presence in parts of southern Lebanon for decades, while capturing additional territory during the 2023-2024 war. Its current offensive has pushed the incursion beyond 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) into Lebanese territory — the deepest such advance since Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000.
Citing unnamed security sources, the broadcaster reported that the army is weighing the new zone along the border and preparing to scale down its forces following the destruction of tunnels in the Ali al-Taher heights in southern Nabatieh province.
According to the sources, the redeployment plan — dubbed the "gray line" — would involve setting up positions used to launch operations into Lebanese territory. The plan still requires approval from Israel's political leadership and will be reviewed before any final decision, the broadcaster said.
The report followed comments Friday from Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, who said the army had solidified control over what he termed a "security zone" in southern Lebanon. That statement came a day after the Israeli military claimed it had secured "operational control" over the Ali al-Taher heights.
The area has seen mounting tensions in recent weeks amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes and military operations.
Israel has framed the "gray line" as a new redeployment framework, comparable to its existing "yellow line," which currently marks the boundaries of its military deployment, operations and security control inside Lebanese territory.
The proposal emerges against a backdrop of continued Israeli escalation across southern Lebanon, despite a Beirut-Tel Aviv agreement calling for a phased Israeli withdrawal as part of a US-mediated process.
Since March, Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed more than 4,000 people and wounded over 12,000 others, while displacing more than 1 million people from their homes, according to Lebanese authorities.
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