Occupation uses civilian contractors to destroy villages in southern Lebanon and replicate the Gaza experience

Hebrew press reports have revealed a dangerous trend by the Israeli army aimed at replicating the strategy of widespread destruction it employed in the Gaza Strip and applying it to villages in southern Lebanon. Sources indicated that the military establishment has already begun implementing plans to level large areas of land to prevent Lebanese residents from returning to their homes in border areas.

In detailing this strategy, sources reported that the Israeli army has signed contracts with civilian contractors to undertake the demolition of homes and the destruction of infrastructure in Lebanese villages. This step aims to accelerate demolition operations and relieve the burden on combat units, with work being carried out under intense air cover and precise military supervision to ensure the completion of required tasks.

Reports noted that the payment mechanism for these contractors is directly linked to the extent of the destruction achieved, as they receive financial compensation based on the number of housing units demolished. It is noteworthy that a number of these contractors and workers have prior experience in this field, having participated in similar operations within the Gaza Strip in recent months.

The current Israeli plan includes systematic destruction of buildings within a geographical scope extending up to three kilometers deep into Lebanese territory from the Blue Line. This targeted area includes dozens of villages and towns that the occupation seeks to transform into an uninhabited buffer zone, using bulldozers and explosives supervised by engineering units.

For its part, the Israeli army spokesperson merely stated that forces continue their activity in the geographical area they control in southern Lebanon. The army claimed that these operations aim to remove threats directed against residents of the north, without directly addressing the details of contracts with civilian demolition companies or the nature of the systematic destruction.

In a related context, field data indicates that occupation forces effectively control about one-third of the area extending between the international border and the Litani River. This control is being used to expand bulldozing operations and establish new military points, raising concerns about the occupation's intention to remain for long periods in these areas and change their geographical features.

On the humanitarian front, field sources observed a reverse displacement movement of residents from southern areas towards northern Lebanon, driven by escalating fears of the fragile truce collapsing. Many residents believe that the current calm is only a temporary phase, especially with the continued demolition operations and suspicious military movements carried out by occupation forces.

Repeated Israeli violations increase the prevailing anxiety among displaced persons who are hesitant to fully return to their destroyed villages. Thousands of Lebanese currently reside in shelters or rented apartments, awaiting clarity on the ground situation and the end of proposed calm periods, in the absence of real guarantees for their protection from targeting.

Recent hours have witnessed field developments that further complicated the scene, as the Israeli army targeted individuals in the south, claiming they belonged to Hezbollah. Reports also recorded incidents affecting United Nations Interim Force (UNIFIL) troops, indicating that tension remains dominant despite talks of understandings for a ceasefire.

The situation in southern Lebanon remains suspended between the residents' desire to restore their normal lives and the Israeli destruction machine that continues its work. Facts on the ground confirm that replicating the Gaza experience in Lebanon is not just a media threat, but a reality translated through contractors' bulldozers devouring border villages one after another.

The Israeli army is working to replicate the Gaza experience and apply it in southern Lebanon through systematic destruction of infrastructure and homes.