Israel flattening civilian buildings in southern Lebanon despite ceasefire

Israel has continued to systematically flatten civilian buildings in southern Lebanon during the ceasefire, according to an Israeli media report.

‎A 10-day pause in hostilities began last Thursday, but since then, Israeli army commanders have told Haaretz newspaper that the systematic destruction of civilian buildings in southern villages is still underway.

‎The commanders said engineering tools, including excavators, have been brought into the area and are being operated by paid Israeli contractors. 

‎Some contractors receive a daily wage, while others are paid based on the scope of work and the number of buildings they destroy. 

‎In one village, a source said around 20 excavators are currently operating simultaneously.

‎Israel's military is assessing the scale of the destruction through digital tools, including statistical systems that track the number of buildings demolished in each sector.

‎The source said schools and civilian sites are being flattened as part of an Israeli policy to "clean up the area." 

‎Civilian infrastructure is being destroyed south of the "yellow line" drawn by Israel, which lies approximately 20 kilometers south of the Litani River. 

‎Israeli forces are prohibited from crossing that line under the terms of the ceasefire agreement.‎

‎According to the report, one of the goals of the destruction is to prevent Lebanese residents from returning to areas near the border with Israeli-occupied territories.

‎The method of destruction is modeled on Israeli operations in the besieged Gaza Strip during the genocidal war that began in October 2023. 

‎Sources said some of the contractors had previously worked in the blockaded Palestinian territory.

‎Last month, Israeli Minister of Military Affairs Israel Katz said, "All houses in villages near the border in Lebanon will be demolished in accordance with the Rafah and Beit Hanoun models in Gaza."

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He added that after Israel's aggression in Lebanon ends, the military would maintain control "over the entire area up to the Litani."

‎Israel has been bombing Lebanon since early March. During the war, Israel destroyed all bridges over the Litani, including the key Qasmiyeh bridge, severing the last link between the south and the rest of the country.

‎Moments before the ceasefire began last week, Israel struck a residential complex in the southern city of Sour, killing approximately a dozen civilians and wounding 35.‎

‎Since March 2, Israeli attacks have killed at least 2,294 people in Lebanon, including 100 rescue workers and healthcare personnel, and wounded 7,544. 

Approximately 1.2 million people have also been displaced nationwide. Tens of thousands of displaced people began returning home in the early hours of Friday.

‎Last week, Haaretz reported that the Israeli military was establishing additional outposts in southern Lebanon. 

‎Since a ceasefire was agreed in November 2024 during the Gaza genocide, Israel has maintained five outposts in Lebanon. 

‎A United Nations assessment found that Israel violated the 2024 ceasefire agreement more than 10,000 times in the span of a year.

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