Amid Lebanon Border Destruction, Israel May Pursue Buffer Zone

Israel has been focusing on creating a buffer zone in southern Lebanon in an effort to reduce the threat from Hezbollah, but its success in preventing future cross-border attacks is uncertain, according to experts.

Since September, Israel has intensified airstrikes on southern Lebanon, escalating its conflict with Hezbollah, an Iran-backed group. The Israeli military also deployed ground troops into the area. Officials from southern Lebanon report that over a dozen villages near the border have been significantly damaged, with some up to two-thirds destroyed. Experts like Peter Harling, founder of the research center Synaps in Beirut, suggest that Israel is attempting to establish an uninhabitable zone along the border, effectively creating a “no man’s land.”

In some villages, buildings have been demolished, while Israeli forces have also been accused of setting fire to wooded and agricultural areas. Israel’s goal is to push Hezbollah further away from the border to prevent attacks on northern Israel. Orna Mizrahi, from the Institute for National Security Studies, explained that while Israel wants to secure the border, it is not aiming for a permanent buffer zone.

This military activity follows Hezbollah’s support for Hamas during its October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which led to cross-border strikes from Hezbollah. In response, Israel launched sustained bombardments. Hashem Haidar, head of Lebanon’s Southern Council, reported that 18 villages near the 120-kilometer-long Israel-Lebanon border have been heavily damaged, with around 45,000 homes destroyed.

Military experts, including retired Lebanese Army General Hassan Jouni, believe the destruction serves to clear the area for Israel’s surveillance operations, preventing Hezbollah from launching attacks similar to those from Hamas. Satellite images and data from Microsoft Maps have shown that over half the buildings in several border villages were destroyed by November 7, 2023. Mays al-Jabal, a village in the region, has seen over 1,000 buildings damaged or destroyed.

The destruction has included schools, mosques, and other infrastructure, and even cemeteries have been impacted. In some areas, like Mhaibib, over 80% of the structures have been demolished, and entire neighborhoods are in ruins. Israel’s military is also suspected of testing Hezbollah’s defenses in preparation for larger ground operations, though experts like Harling point out that these actions have not stopped Hezbollah from continuing missile attacks and drone strikes into Israel.

Israel is particularly concerned with Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force, which it accuses of planning to infiltrate Israeli territory. Recently, Israel claimed to have discovered a network of tunnels in southern Lebanon, used by these forces for potential attacks on northern Israel.

Despite these efforts, experts like Calev Ben-Dor believe that a security zone may only help mitigate some threats, such as preventing incursions by Hezbollah’s elite forces, but will not be effective against long-range missile attacks. The 2006 UN resolution that ended the previous Israel-Hezbollah conflict, which called for a Lebanese army presence in southern Lebanon, remains a key part of current negotiations for a truce.

In the long term, some experts, like Jouni, doubt the success of Israel’s buffer zone strategy, believing that once the war ends, the displaced population will return and rebuild their homes.