Israel Orders Destruction Of All Crossings And Homes Near Lebanon’s Southern Border

Near Tire, LEBANON/TEL AVIV, March 22 (Reuters) – Israel struck the main bridge connecting southern Lebanon to the rest of the country on Sunday after ordering its army to destroy all crossing points on the Litani River and step up the demolition of homes near its southern border.

The destruction of bridges and houses marks a significant escalation in Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon, which was plunged into regional war on March 2 when the armed group Hezbollah opened fire on Israeli territory.

International law generally prohibits militaries from attacking civilian infrastructure, and the United Nations human rights chief has criticized Israel’s actions in Lebanon, particularly its implementation of widespread evacuation orders that have displaced more than a million people.

Sunday’s strike damaged a crossing on Lebanon’s coastal highway, one of the main roads that runs through farmland and connects southern and central Lebanon.

The Israeli military spokesman had announced that the army would hit the bridge early on Sunday.

Lama al-Fares, who lives on farmland adjacent to the pass, said that when her family saw the warning, they loaded their cars with what they could. They drove north along the highway and waited on a hill overlooking it.

“Our house is right next to the bridge. It was destroyed in the last war and we rebuilt a basic structure to live in. I hope it is still standing,” he told Reuters.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said the attacks were “the beginning of a ground offensive” and amounted to a “policy of collective punishment against civilians.”

He said this would hinder the distribution of humanitarian aid and could be part of “dubious plans” to expand Israel’s presence in Lebanese territory. Defense Minister Israel Katz it has been said before Lebanon could face “damage to infrastructure and loss of territory” if its government does not disarm Hezbollah.

A second Israeli attack hit the bridge on Sunday evening, according to Lebanese state media.

Earlier, an Israeli was killed in his car near the border after what the army described as a “throw” from Lebanese territory. Ten hours after the Israeli ambulance service reported the man dead, the military said it was investigating whether the man was killed by Israeli fire. Two Israeli soldiers were killed in clashes in Lebanon.

According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, more than 1,000 people died in Israel’s attacks on Lebanon, including approximately 120 children, 80 women and 40 medical personnel. Lebanese authorities make no further distinction between civilians and militants.

Katz said the military was ordered to destroy all bridges over the Litani used for “terrorist activities” to prevent Hezbollah militants and their weapons from advancing south.

The Israeli army had destroyed three bridges in Southern Lebanon in the last 10 days.

Katz also said the military had been ordered to step up the demolition of homes in “frontline villages” in Lebanon to neutralize threats to Israeli communities.

He said the approach was similar to the model used in Beit Hanoun and Rafah in Gaza, where the army created buffer zones by clearing and demolishing buildings near the border.

Ramzi Kaiss, Lebanon researcher for Human Rights Watch, said international law requires armed actors to take into account civilian harm caused by attacks on infrastructure such as bridges, even if the targets are used for military purposes.

“If all these bridges were destroyed and the area south of the Litani was isolated from the rest of the country, then the damage to civilians would be so great that you would face a humanitarian disaster if people still living in the south could not access food, medicine and other basic needs,” Kaiss said.

He added that the wholesale destruction of homes in southern Lebanon would amount to wanton destruction, a war crime.

The Israeli army said its soldiers carried out what it called ground maneuvers and targeted raids on Hezbollah militants and weapons depots in southern Lebanon. Israeli officials say the air and ground operations are aimed at protecting residents of northern Israel near the Lebanese border from Hezbollah attacks.

The Lebanese government has banned Hezbollah’s military activities and said it wants to begin direct talks with Israel.