Israel announces new “Yellow Line” in southern Lebanon

International Desk. PNN

The Israeli military has said that it has established a so-called “Yellow Line” in southern Lebanon, which will function as a military division system similar to Gaza. The announcement came just days after a recent ceasefire with Lebanon came into effect.

According to the Israeli military, in the past 24 hours troops stationed south of this boundary in southern Lebanon identified individuals who allegedly violated the ceasefire terms and were advancing toward them. The military said this created an “immediate security threat.”

This is the first time Israel has officially used the term “Yellow Line” in relation to Lebanon. Previously, it has used such boundary systems in the Gaza Strip to divide and control territory.

In Gaza, this boundary divides the area into eastern and western parts, where the eastern side is under Israeli control and movement in the western side is relatively less restricted. However, there have been allegations that entering those areas often results in shootings.

Al Jazeera correspondent Nour Odeh from the West Bank said that many see this new move in Lebanon as a continuation of “creating a Gaza-like situation.” She added that there are also orders to destroy border Lebanese villages, further complicating the situation.

On the other hand, Israel’s defense minister had earlier indicated that border villages could be turned into conditions similar to devastated areas in Gaza.

Despite the ceasefire, attacks in southern Lebanon have reportedly continued. Shelling and destruction of homes in local towns have also been reported. The Israeli military says these actions are necessary for their security.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said that the ceasefire will only hold if both sides respect it. He demanded a full Israeli withdrawal and warned that continued conflict would lead to responses.

He further said that prisoner exchanges, the return of border residents, and reconstruction efforts should be prioritized in the future.

Analysts say that this new “Yellow Line” announcement may increase tensions despite the ceasefire and raise the risk of long-term conflict in the region.