JERUSALEM, March 22 (Xinhua) -- Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz said Sunday that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had ordered the military to "immediately" destroy all bridges over Lebanon's Litani River used by Hezbollah.
In a statement, Katz said the move was intended to prevent Hezbollah fighters and weapons from moving south. He added that the military had also been instructed to accelerate the demolition of homes in frontline Lebanese villages to "neutralize threats" to Israeli communities, tactics Israel has previously used in Gaza.
He said Israeli forces were pressing ahead with ground operations in Lebanon to kill Hezbollah militants and seize key positions, and called on civilians to evacuate areas north of the Litani River.
The Litani River, Lebanon's longest, runs about 170 kilometers from the Beqaa Valley to the Mediterranean Sea, much of it roughly parallel to the Israel-Lebanon border. It has long served as a key geographic boundary in conflicts between Israel and Hezbollah.
Hezbollah said it launched rockets from Lebanon toward Israel on March 2, the first such attack since a ceasefire was declared on Nov. 27, 2024. Israel subsequently launched a military campaign against the group, including intensive airstrikes on areas in southern and eastern Lebanon, as well as Beirut's southern suburbs. ■
