Israel announced it will destroy all houses in villages near the border with Lebanon and that 600,000 residents who fled from the south will not be allowed to return until northern Israel is secure. Defense Minister Israel Katz stated the destruction would follow "the model of Rafah and Beit Hanoun in Gaza," aiming to permanently remove threats to northern residents. Katz reiterated Israeli plans to create a buffer zone in southern Lebanon and said Israel will maintain control over territory up to the Litani River after the war with Hezbollah, an Iran-backed group, concludes.
Since the offensive began on March 2, over 1.2 million people have been displaced and at least 1,200 killed. The Israeli military has conducted evacuations in southern Lebanon, the southern suburbs of Beirut, and eastern areas controlled by Hezbollah, demanding the destruction of weapons stored by the group in homes. Lebanese Minister of Social Affairs, Haneen Sayed, warned that the operation "is increasing the risk of long-term displacement of Lebanese residents."
The Israeli military also stated that Hezbollah had used nearly 5,000 drones and rockets against Israel and reported new strikes on the group's infrastructure in the southern suburbs of Beirut.