Amid ceasefire, Israeli forces ramp up destruction of homes in southern Lebanon
The terms of the ceasefire preserved Israel’s right to “take all necessary measures of self-defense, at any time, against planned, threatened, or ongoing attacks,” according to the U.S. State Department. With the deal expiring on May 17, the United States is expected to mediate a new round of negotiations between Israel and Lebanon on May 14-15, although it is unclear who will be involved in the negotiations or whether they will definitely move forward.
Asked for comment on Israeli operations in southern Lebanon, the State Department referred NBC News to a statement announcing the expected talks.
Hezbollah, which did not participate in negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, pledged to act “in defense of Lebanon and its people” and in response to ceasefire violations and aggression against civilians by Israel.
Abbas Awada, mayor of Khiam, a town in the security zone, said destruction in parts of southern Lebanon had become “systematic” after the truce took effect on April 16. He said the Israel Defense Forces appeared to have tried to “destroy everything that touches life.”
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz described its intention to apply the Gaza model in southern Lebanon, comparing the Israeli army’s tactics to those used in parts of the Palestinian enclave that remain under Israeli control. Katz also warned that residents of southern Lebanon would not be able to return home until the safety of Israelis in northern Israel was guaranteed.
One of Israel’s main centers of activity has been the Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil, where Hassan Nasrallah, then leader of Hezbollah, delivered a victory speech in 2000 as Israel ended 18 years of occupation.
From that day on, the symbolism of Bint Jbeil as a Hezbollah stronghold grew and the town became an IDF target.
Images captured by European aerospace company Airbus two days before the truce was announced showed extensive damage in Bint Jbeil. Images taken 11 days later, on April 25, show that a much larger proportion of the city is in ruins.
In a video posted online on April 18, buildings in Bint Jbeil erupted into clouds of dust in what appeared to be large, controlled demolitions. This is consistent with an April 19 Lebanese National News Agency report that Israeli forces continued to destroy “remaining houses” in the city.
In mid-April, the Israeli military shared an aerial image showing a debris-strewn stadium where Nasrallah delivered his famous speech. The leader of Hezbollah was killed by Israel in 2024 along with more than 1,000 leaders and rank-and-file members.
Images shared on social media on April 22 show what appear to be Israeli soldiers flying an Israeli flag at the destroyed facility.
Asked to comment on the images of destruction, the Israeli military said on May 1 that, as part of efforts to eliminate the direct threat to residents of northern Israel and prevent the reestablishment of Hezbollah, its forces were operating against the group “in the area near the border” with Israel. He also said that Hezbollah was integrating military infrastructure and assets into civilian population centers.
Meanwhile, in a statement released Tuesday on Telegram, the Israeli military said it had struck more than 1,100 Hezbollah targets and killed more than 350 militants in southern Lebanon “in recent weeks” in what it called “operations carried out within the framework of the agreements between Israel and Lebanon.”
The Israeli military previously said it had killed more than 200 Hezbollah members in Bint Jbeil alone in recent weeks, in addition to dismantling more than “900 terrorist infrastructure sites” in the area.
While demolitions began before the April 16 ceasefire, truly significant destruction began after its declaration, Mohammad Bazzi, the mayor of Bint Jbeil, told NBC News. Around 1,500 residential buildings were completely demolished, as well as schools and mosques, he said.
“Israel wants to erase our identity and our heritage so that people cannot return,” Bazzi said.
