Conflict in southern Lebanon: Israeli expands occupation beyond military boundary

This boundary separates Israeli-occupied territory from the rest of Lebanon. The landscape of the south has changed. Lebanon's army is here not to fight Israel, but to warn residents not to go beyond the barrier. In the distance is the town of Hadassah. Most of the homes have been destroyed, many in controlled Israeli demolitions. At the moment, there aren't any Israeli soldiers there. But they do often advance into the town. Isa Nasser tells us he's frustrated because he's not able to reach his home. The Israelis never respected the ceasefire. They entered our town afterward and destroyed it. We couldn't even recover the bodies of those who were killed from beneath the rubble. Machine gun fire, artillery shelling, airstrikes. They have become part of life here. This is a front line and that's why most people have left. They're worried that Israel's strategy is about emptying more villages instead of withdrawing in line within an agreement it signed with the government in Beirut. In nearby Haris, residents have returned in recent weeks. But it borders Israel's occupation zone. In June, the Israeli military published a map outlining the areas its troops plan to occupy. Up to 10 kilometers deep into Lebanese territory. It has since captured and demolished the strategic Ali al-Taher ridge included in that area. But it also expanded it north of the boundary of the occupation zone. Mansouri, for example, where it issued a forced displacement order last month. Tanks and bulldozers often advance into those towns to destroy homes and roads. Haris is among them. We are living in an extremely difficult situation. Haris is under fire and every day there is Israeli military activity around us. We call on the Lebanese army to deploy forces to the area and help protect us. People from Haris can no longer reach this neighborhood. For some, their homes are just a few hundred meters away. They started by throwing stun grenades at us and then they blew up my neighbor's house. They're preventing us from returning to our homes, even though this area is north of the yellow line and is not part of it. Israeli troops don't need to be stationed in this town to keep hold of it. They control areas by military force.