Israel moves border to Litani River in southern Lebanon
Israel says it will occupy southern Lebanon up to the Litani River to create a defensive buffer, with troops controlling bridges and a security zone and potentially seizing about a tenth of the country; Hezbollah vows to resist, and Lebanese residents have been displaced by strikes that have killed over 1,000. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich urged annexation up to the Litani. Lebanon has not commented publicly. The move escalates an already volatile conflict amid broader US-Israeli tensions with Iran and international concern over civilian casualties and infrastructure damage.
