Israel's Lebanon Warning
Israel to continue southern Lebanon occupation and demolitions, warns Iran of forceful response
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Israel has announced it will continue occupying and demolishing homes in southern Lebanon, openly defying the US-Iran peace deal signed in Muscat on May 28. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant declared that Israel will maintain a 'security belt' along the border 'house by house,' with roughly 3,450 structures already destroyed since June 1, according to UNOSAT satellite imagery analysis.
Gallant issued a stark warning to Tehran on June 15, saying: 'If the regime in Tehran believes that a piece of paper signed in Oman grants them immunity to re-arm Hezbollah, they are mistaken. We will respond with full force to any provocation.' The IDF has deployed three divisions along the Blue Line — its largest military presence there since 2006, according to El Periódico.
Israel Launches 'Operation Iron Sieve' Across Border Villages
The IDF began 'Operation Iron Sieve' on June 13, targeting residential buildings in Lebanese villages including Aita al-Shaab, Meiss el-Jabal, and Mhaibib. In just 48 hours, 450 structures were demolished. IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said the goal is to create a 'sterile zone' where no anti-tank missiles can be fired from civilian windows, according to La Provincia.
Israel's strategy echoes its 'Security Belt' policy of 1985 to 2000, but with a harder edge. The government faces pressure to bring back 82,000 Israelis displaced from the Galilee. Israeli polls show 62% of citizens support the demolition campaign. The country is effectively turning a 2-to-5-kilometer strip of Lebanese land into uninhabitable territory, analysts say.
Washington Urges Restraint as US-Iran Accord Hangs in Balance
The White House called on all parties to 'honor the spirit of the Muscat Accords,' warning that 'unilateral escalations jeopardize a decade-long diplomatic breakthrough.' The deal had promised Iran $12 billion in unfrozen assets in exchange for halting nuclear enrichment and curbing proxy activities. US lawmakers are now moving to freeze those funds again, according to Levante EMV.
The US-Israel relationship is at what analysts call a 'historic nadir.' Washington may slow the delivery of D9 armored bulldozers — the machines Israel uses to carry out the demolitions. The Israeli Security Cabinet had already rejected the Muscat Accords on June 10, calling them 'a surrender to the mullahs,' according to Diario Córdoba.
Iran and Lebanon Condemn Demolitions as International Tensions Rise
IRGC Commander Hossein Salami fired back at Israel, warning: 'Their aggression in Lebanon will be met with a response they cannot calculate.' Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati called the campaign 'a war crime that the international community is ignoring.' Around 115,000 Lebanese civilians in the south have been displaced, according to LNE.
The EU's foreign policy chief called Israel's actions 'a direct affront to global stability' and demanded sanctions on Israeli officials involved in the demolitions. A French-led resolution proposing a no-fly zone over southern Lebanon is expected at the UN Security Council. Meanwhile, Lebanese reconstruction has effectively stalled as insurance premiums have skyrocketed, according to La Opinión de Málaga.
Analysts Warn of Miscalculation Risk and Long-Term Strategic Cost
Experts at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies say Israel is 'creating facts on the ground' to shape any future peacekeeping mission. The goal is a Lebanon where Hezbollah cannot hide weapons inside civilian homes. But critics say Israel is winning tactically while losing strategically — pushing away its only major ally, the United States, according to La Opinión de Murcia.
The financial cost is also mounting. Maintaining a permanent occupation of the security strip is estimated to add 1.5% to Israel's national deficit. Hezbollah's Radwan Units had already begun pulling back 10 kilometers north of the Litani River on June 5. That move may now be reversed if the demolitions continue, according to La Opinión de A Coruña.
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