Israel expanding presence in Lebanon, officials say, as BBC visits occupied areas

Israeli officials report an expanded Israeli presence in Lebanon, as the BBC visited areas under occupation.

The coastal highway in southern Lebanon, near the Israeli border, offers scenic views but is currently deserted. Numerous abandoned crops and buildings, destroyed by Israeli airstrikes, lie in ruins.

Near Naqoura, a Lebanese military checkpoint, adorned with the national flag's white and red, marks the last visible state presence. Soldiers are stationed behind concrete barriers, but the road remains empty. A short distance south, approximately a dozen Israeli flags signify the start of occupied territory, accessible only with Israeli authorization.

This region is the heartland of Lebanon's Shia Muslim community, the primary base of support for Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militia and political party. In the past two decades alone, the area has experienced three invasions by the Israeli military during conflicts with Hezbollah. The most recent invasion began in March, following Hezbollah's rocket attacks into Israel after the killing of the Iranian supreme leader, at the outset of the US and Israel's war against Iran.

Last month, a BBC team joined a humanitarian mission with the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, known as Unifil, one of the few ways to access the Israeli-controlled area. Similar to Gaza, Israel has razed entire villages here, and airstrikes and demolitions have persisted even after a ceasefire was declared in June.

Led by Finnish Unifil troops, the convoy escorted civilians to and from Christian villages near the border. These communities were spared from Israeli attacks and invasion during the war and are now isolated from the rest of the country due to the surrounding occupation. The Israeli military permitted the BBC's presence through a deconfliction mechanism with the UN.

The land strip currently under Israeli control accounts for about 5% of Lebanese territory, extending up to 10km (six miles) from the border in some places. Driving along the wall separating the two nations, the BBC team observed service roads built by Israel post-invasion, significant movement of Israeli soldiers, and residential buildings being used by them. Some structures were covered in netting for protection against Hezbollah's explosive drones.

The team also heard Israeli surveillance drones overhead and distant explosions, possibly from Israeli demolitions in occupied villages.

During a visit to occupied southern Lebanon last month, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz stated he had instructed the military to "take all necessary steps to prepare for a long-term presence in the area." Israeli officials aim to establish a "security zone" to safeguard northern Israeli communities from Hezbollah's rockets and drones fired from southern Lebanon, as well as a potential ground invasion.

According to Unifil, the Israeli military has established four new bases in the invaded areas, bringing the total number of such positions to nine. Israeli forces had remained in five locations after invading southern Lebanon during the previous war against Hezbollah in 2024, in violation of the agreement that ended that conflict.

"In the past months, we've seen the consolidation and fortification of Israeli positions, construction of protective infrastructure, and other engineering works," said Kandice Ardiel, a Unifil spokeswoman. "We have [also] observed what appear to be Israeli civilian personnel carrying out demolition and engineering activities in support of military activities in south Lebanon."

Human rights organizations contend that some of Israel's actions in southern Lebanon constitute deliberate destruction of civilian infrastructure, potentially a war crime. Hundreds of thousands of Lebanese remain displaced, uncertain of when, or if, they will be able to return.

In response to inquiries, the Israeli military stated that destroyed buildings were used by Hezbollah for military purposes and that its operations adhered to international law. It did not address other specific questions regarding its actions in the occupied areas.

In June, the US and Iran announced a preliminary agreement to end their conflict, which included a cessation of violence in Lebanon. Since then, a Lebanese intelligence official reported that Lebanon's military has documented over 5,000 Israeli violations of the deal, including airstrikes, drone attacks, shelling, and nearly daily incursions by Israeli soldiers into Lebanese territory beyond the occupied area, known as the Yellow Line.

Similar to Gaza, the Israeli military justifies some of its attacks in Lebanon as operations against what it describes as immediate threats. However, in many instances, the immediacy of these alleged threats, or even their existence, remains unclear. Hezbollah, designated a terrorist organization by countries including the UK and the US, has not launched attacks against Israel since the ceasefire took effect, but has targeted Israeli troops operating within Lebanese territory.

"[The Israelis] are expanding their presence [in Lebanon]. They've [also] been setting areas ablaze, demolishing houses while the bombing continues, despite the ceasefire," the Lebanese intelligence official stated. "It's clear that they don't want anyone to go back [to those villages] in the coming year, or even years. This isn't only about Hezbollah. This is about preventing people from returning."

Israeli officials have conditioned a withdrawal from Lebanon on Hezbollah's disarmament, which the Lebanese government cannot achieve without the group's consent. Observers note that Hezbollah remains a significant military force despite setbacks in recent wars. Both countries have engaged in direct talks, resulting in a US-brokered framework agreement: Israel would withdraw from specific "pilot zones" where Lebanese army soldiers would be deployed and Hezbollah's disarmament verified.

Hezbollah opposes these efforts; the group's leader, Naim Qassem, last week called them "surrender with humiliation." He insists that any discussion about its weapons should only occur after a complete Israeli withdrawal. Israel, for its part, claims that the Lebanese national military, which rejects using force against Hezbollah to avoid internal conflict, has not done enough.

The plan has made no progress, and no significant change is anticipated before the Israeli election at the end of October.

"The idea of the 'pilot zones' seems to be dead until the context changes," a European diplomat familiar with the situation commented. "It seems we're heading to a Gaza-like situation. The Israelis are entrenching themselves... and are here to stay, for now."