Netanyahu: "Security zone in Southern Lebanon will be expanded"

\r\n
\r\n[The Financial News] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the 29th (local time) ordered the military to expand the existing security zone in connection with the ground offensive in Southern Lebanon. The plan is to fundamentally change the situation in the north by widening the military buffer zone and blocking threats at their source.
After meeting with senior commanders, including the defense minister and the Chief of Staff, at the Northern Command that day, Netanyahu said in a video statement, "I have ordered the expansion of the security zone in order to completely eliminate the threat of invasion from Lebanon and push anti-tank missile attacks farther away from the border."
He also stated, "We have delivered massive firepower against the Islamic Republic of Iran and its proxies, creating a clear crack," adding, "We are holding the initiative." However, he noted, "We cannot reveal everything," while acknowledging that Hezbollah still retains rocket capabilities and saying he discussed ways to eliminate this threat with the military leadership.
This move is seen as a response to the rapidly rising strategic importance of the northern front since the war expanded from a single front with the Islamic Republic of Iran to Lebanon. Israel launched the war with a surprise attack on Iran on the 28th of last month together with the United States, and three days later, on the 2nd of this month, Lebanon's pro-Iran armed group Hezbollah joined in, widening the front. The cease-fire that had held for about one year and four months has effectively collapsed, and Israel is continuing a large-scale offensive against Hezbollah.
Civilian casualties are also rising rapidly. According to the Ministry of Public Health of Lebanon, since the resumption of full-scale clashes, the death toll has reached 1,238 and the number of injured has exceeded 3,500. As the border area has effectively turned into a full-scale battlefield, concerns over a humanitarian crisis are mounting.
The expansion of the buffer zone is being interpreted as a step that goes beyond a short-term military response and leaves open the possibility of a long-term occupation or sustained buffer presence. As Israel moves to secure greater strategic depth on the northern front, the situation in the Middle East is entering an even more complex phase.
\r\n
km@fnnews.com Reporter Kim Kyung-min Reporter