Israeli army 'using Gaza tactics' while razing southern Lebanon villages
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Mera Aladam
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Wed, 04/15/2026 - 12:43
Haaretz reports that the army is building new outposts in Lebanon, signalling an intention to maintain a long-term presence there
Israeli soldiers stand on top of a tank in northern Israel, near the Israel-Lebanon boundary, 15 April 2026 (Reuters/Florion Goga)
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The Israeli army is using a "pattern of operations" in Lebanon similar to that deployed in Gaza, including the mass demolition of homes and the establishment of a long-term presence, Haaretz reported on Tuesday.
Citing army sources, the Israeli daily said forces equipped with bulldozers are destroying infrastructure in villages near the boundary to clear land for additional military outposts and a so-called buffer zone - a tactic previously used in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli forces have maintained five outposts inside Lebanese territory since the 2024 escalation, in violation of the November ceasefire agreed that year.
The army is now planning to double the number of those outposts, according to Haaretz.
The report added that the army initially intended to present a plan to establish a security zone in southern Lebanon, in line with political directives.
However, the paper said the military denies any formal plan to maintain a permanent security zone after the war in Lebanon ends.
One soldier told the outlet that current operations do not appear to be temporary.
"These are permanent posts that will be manned over time," he said.
"Nobody really knows where this is going. The goal of protecting [northern] communities against direct fire is important, and that is why we embarked on the mission. But there's no answer to the big questions."
According to the sources, while the operation’s objectives have been broadly agreed, the lack of a clear strategy could lead to the emergence of a "de facto security zone" in southern Lebanon.
"If this move does not end in a political agreement... the public needs to understand that the IDF [Israeli army] is in fact returning to a security zone in Lebanon, more than 20 years after leaving it," one source told Haaretz.
'We operate exactly as we do in Gaza'
Another military source told Haaretz that the same manoeuvres used in the besieged Gaza Strip are now being applied in Lebanon, despite significant differences in terrain.
Some troops involved had previously operated in Gaza, where they razed entire neighbourhoods and infrastructure.
"We operate exactly as we do in Gaza," one military source familiar with the matter said. "There are lists of houses to demolish, and success is measured by the number of buildings destroyed per day.
"It is not clear why such a large number of forces are required to secure these operations, and what the broader purpose is beyond that."
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One officer, who previously commanded Israeli troops in Gaza and is now serving in Lebanon, said that while Gaza’s relatively flat terrain is easier to control, Lebanon’s landscape is far more complex.
"Not everything that worked in Gaza is suitable here... But it seems that the system operates as if it were the same arena," he said.
Another officer echoed this assessment, noting that "the topography plays into Hezbollah’s favour. It allows them to strike forces both at close range and from a distance".
The report came amid talks between Lebanese and Israeli officials in Washington on Tuesday - the first direct discussions between the two sides in more than three decades.
While a ceasefire was not on the agenda, the main subject of concern was Hezbollah, which had no representation.
The US designated the group a foreign terrorist organisation in 1997, but it remains the foremost military actor in Lebanon, and is represented in the country's parliament. Hezbollah was formed in 1982 to explicitly counter Israel's occupation and influence in Lebanon.
Hezbollah has insisted that it cannot disarm while Israel remains a threat to Lebanon, and as Israeli officials normalise rhetoric about expanding Israel's borders northward into southern Lebanon.
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