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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.<\/p>\n
The so-called red line refers to the first row of villages directly on the Israeli-Lebanese border, the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The army initially did not comment on the report when asked.<\/p>\n
Ground troops in zone up to 10 kilometres wide<\/strong><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The third line extends as far as the Litani River, which is around 30 kilometres from the border.<\/p>\n In that area, the army wants to enforce its control primarily through “firepower and observation posts,” the paper said.<\/p>\n Netanyahu announced buffer zone<\/strong><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n In Lebanon, there are concerns about a permanent Israeli occupation of the south.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The 1982 invasion and the subsequent occupation, which also aimed to prevent shelling of northern Israel, contributed significantly to the emergence of Hezbollah.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n