Israel has divided the part of southern Lebanon it controls into three zones following the ceasefire between it and the Lebanese government, Israeli media reported on Sunday.
The so-called red line refers to the first row of villages directly on the Israeli-Lebanese border, the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported.
Most buildings there have already been destroyed and there are no longer any fighters from Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in this area, the paper said. In some places Israeli ground troops have taken up fixed positions.
The army initially did not comment on the report when asked.
Ground troops in zone up to 10 kilometres wide
The “yellow line” runs six to 10 kilometres from the border, the paper reported. Israel has also deployed a “yellow line” concept in the Gaza Strip, half of which it continues to occupy since the ceasefire in October 2025.
In this zone of Lebanon, which contains dozens of villages, the army’s goal is reportedly to prevent shelling, mainly by rockets, of northern Israel.
Israeli ground troops are still deployed in this zone and there are still isolated clashes, including around the Hezbollah stronghold of Bint Jbeil, it said.
The third line extends as far as the Litani River, which is around 30 kilometres from the border.
In that area, the army wants to enforce its control primarily through “firepower and observation posts,” the paper said.
Netanyahu announced buffer zone
When announcing the 10-day ceasefire with Lebanon on Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Israeli army should remain in a “reinforced security zone” in southern Lebanon.
This stretches from the Mediterranean to the Syrian border and is around 10 kilometres wide. It is intended to protect towns in northern Israel from Hezbollah attacks.
In Lebanon, there are concerns about a permanent Israeli occupation of the south.
After the first Lebanon war in 1982, Israel established a so-called security zone in southern Lebanon. The last Israeli soldiers withdrew from the area only in 2000 after sustained losses.
The 1982 invasion and the subsequent occupation, which also aimed to prevent shelling of northern Israel, contributed significantly to the emergence of Hezbollah.