How Israel’s ‘Yellow Line’ is reshaping southern Lebanon | Israel attacks Lebanon News
Beirut, Lebanon — Ali, a resident of Khiam, a village near the southern border with Israel, has spent the last few months living in Hasbaiyya, approximately 30 minutes northeast. He is among tens of thousands of Lebanese displaced from their homes amidst ongoing conflict in southern Lebanon.
“Southerners are living a tragedy,” Ali, who requested anonymity, told Al Jazeera. “This is all due to flawed tragedies and failed politics.”
Despite a framework agreement signed in June between Lebanon and Israel aimed at facilitating Israel’s gradual withdrawal from Lebanon, Israeli forces continue to occupy significant areas in the south. Recent reports indicate that Israel has systematically demolished homes and critical infrastructure in numerous villages.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has stated that Israeli troops will not withdraw from Lebanon, hinting at a prolonged occupation similar to the 22-year control that lasted until 2000.
On March 2, the Lebanese Shia group Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel for the first time in over a year. The group, which is supported by Iran, claimed the strike was a response to ongoing Israeli violations of the November 2024 ceasefire and the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, amid escalating hostilities.
Israel retaliated by intensifying its military operations in Lebanon for the second time within two years, leading to the displacement of over 1.2 million individuals. In light of the conflict, Beirut entered into direct negotiations with the Israeli government, despite opposition from Hezbollah, which has a long history of conflict with Israel dating back to the 1980s.
The discussions culminated in a framework agreement that proposed the establishment of “pilot zones”, where Lebanese Armed Forces would take control following Israel’s withdrawal, with the goal of disarming any Hezbollah presence in those areas.
Currently, Israel occupies a zone extending up to 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) into southern Lebanon. Behind the “Yellow Line” that marks this occupation zone, Israeli forces continue to demolish homes, a tactic that resembles its approach in Gaza.
Mohamad Bazzi, a political analyst based in New York and originally from Bint Jbeil in southern Lebanon, described the Israeli strategy as aimed at depopulating frontline villages. “It was a way of applying that Gaza model to Lebanon,” he said, noting that approximately 50 frontline villages have been severely damaged or destroyed.
Recent satellite imagery supports claims of deliberate destruction. Bazzi remarked that Israel’s objective appears to be to render these towns uninhabitable and to make it extremely challenging for residents to return.
Ahmad Baydoun, a Lebanese architect and researcher, expressed concern over the persistence of demolition in the area despite ceasefire announcements. “The ceasefire applies to the rest of Lebanon but not to this territory,” he said, referencing the ongoing violations along the border.
In some instances, residents have managed to return to villages, including those designated as pilot zones. However, the ongoing instability remains a significant concern.
The Yellow Line is not the only military demarcation affecting Lebanon. The Blue Line, established in 2000 after Israel’s withdrawal, and proposed discussions of a “Grey Line” highlight the complicated and evolving military landscape.
The proposed Grey Line would extend 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) into Lebanese territory, serving as a buffer zone that could prevent reconstruction efforts in the area.
Bazzi highlighted a broader Israeli strategy to create confusion regarding territorial claims, suggesting that underlying the various colored lines is a concerted effort to depopulate large areas of southern Lebanon.
“Being allowed to stay is not the same as being free to live,” Baydoun explained, noting that residents still face restrictions and sporadic violence, reflecting a controlled environment akin to the situation in the West Bank.
As analysts predict the occupation of southern Lebanon could persist well into the future, the Lebanese government has announced plans for prefabricated housing in some regions. However, the challenge of repairing widely damaged infrastructure remains daunting.
“Some towns may eventually be habitable with substantial effort, but for the 50 or so frontline villages, returning is likely not feasible in the short or medium term,” Bazzi stated.
For many displaced southerners, the state of their former homes serves as a painful reminder of ongoing upheaval. “Khiam is destroyed, there’s nothing, it’s uninhabitable for the next 10, 15, 20 years,” Ali said. “They returned us to the Stone Age.”
