Netanyahu orders expansion of Lebanon invasion, targets Beirut's southern suburbs
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the military to expand its invasion of Lebanon and attack targets in Beirut's southern suburbs, despite growing international
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the military to expand its invasion of Lebanon and attack targets in Beirut's southern suburbs, despite growing international condemnation. The order comes after Washington proposed a roadmap to end the conflict that called for Hezbollah to halt attacks altogether, with an implicit threat that otherwise Israel would no longer refrain from targeting the Beirut area. Since mid-April, intense bombing of Beirut's southern suburbs had stopped, allowing many people to return, but now residents are making their way out again.
Israel has also been bombarding towns and villages across southern Lebanon, including the city of Nabatieh, and has issued multiple forced displacement orders for people living there. The military has captured Beaufort Castle, a strategic hilltop giving the Israeli army a commanding view over vast areas of southern Lebanon. Following that capture, Netanyahu ordered troops to push even deeper. In the past few hours, Israel issued forced evacuation orders for towns and villages 40 to 45 kilometres deep inside the country, including the governorates of Saida and Zahrani.
In response, Hezbollah has intensified its drone and rocket attacks on northern Israel, with dozens of projectiles launched in the past few days. The Israeli army announced the death of another soldier. While Hezbollah can make the war costly, it cannot stop an invading army from pushing deeper. Israel has made tactical gains but has not achieved a strategic victory — it has not forced Hezbollah to disarm, nor brought security to northern Israeli communities.
Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr, Beirut, Lebanon. Find us on Check our website Check out our Instagram page Download AJE Mobile App
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