Israeli forces seen entrenching positions in occupied southern Lebanon, deepening fears of a long-term presence

Briefing

Headline: Israeli forces seen entrenching positions in occupied southern Lebanon, deepening fears of a long-term presence

Date: 15 August 2026

<para>Israel has established a significant military footprint inside southern Lebanon, with a long "security zone" carved out along the border under its control. A joint BBC team and UN peacekeeping convoy that travelled through the occupied area found the landscape heavily scarred by the conflict.</para> <para>Driving along the highway, the desolation was stark. Crops lay abandoned, buildings were reduced to ruins, and the white-and-red of the Lebanese flag at a military checkpoint was a rare visible sign of the state's presence. Israeli soldiers are positioned behind concrete walls, while the road remains empty except for the occupying forces.</para> <sp>Israeli official statements repeat a fixed objective: the creation of a "security zone" to protect northern Israeli communities from Hezbollah rockets and drones, and the prevention of attacks. The army says it has established bases in the invaded areas, with fortifications and observation posts set up in villages. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said he has instructed the military to take all necessary steps to prepare "for a long-term presence in the area."</sp> <sp>The UN mission in Lebanon (Unifil), which is monitoring the ceasefire, has confirmed it has observed significant Israeli consolidation and fortification of positions. A Unifil spokeswoman said what appeared to be Israeli civilian personnel have been carrying out demolition and engineering works in defiance of the ceasefire terms.</sp> <para>Israel says the buildings destroyed were used by Hezbollah for military purposes. However, human rights groups argue that the deliberate destruction of civilian infrastructure amounts to a possible war crime. The scope of the destruction has rendered entire villages along the border uninhabitable.</para> <speech>“They've also been setting areas ablaze, demolishing houses while the bombing continues, despite the ceasefire. It's clear that they don't want anyone to go back to those villages. This isn't only about Hezbollah. This is about preventing people from returning,”</speech> a Lebanese intelligence official told the BBC. <group><speech>“The idea of the 'pilot zones' seems to be dead until the context changes. It seems we're heading to a Gaza-like situation. The Israelis are entrenching themselves... and are here to stay, for now,”</speech> a European diplomat familiar with the situation told the BBC.</group> <para>Hundreds of thousands of Lebanese remain displaced by the ongoing conflict and the continued Israeli occupation, with no clear timeline for their potential return to the devastated border communities.</para>