Jerusalem, 16 March, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Monday gave his first public comments on a new military ground campaign in Southern Lebanon, saying the operation is intended to neutralize threats near the border and protect Israeli civilians.
“The [Israel Defense Forces] has begun a ground maneuver in Lebanon to remove threats and protect the residents of the Galilee and the north,” Katz said during a situation assessment with senior military officials.
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I have instructed the IDF to act and destroy the terror infrastructure in the border villages near Lebanon – to prevent threats and Hezbollah’s return to the scene, just as it was done against Hamas in Gaza in the areas of Rafah, Beit Hanoun, and the extensive tunnel networks,” Katz said.
“Hundreds of thousands of Shiite residents… will not return to their homes south of the Litani area until the safety of the residents of the north is guaranteed,” he said.
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem “is hiding underground and turning over a million Shiites from his community into refugees in their own country,” Katz added.
Following Hamas’ attack on October 7, 2023, Hezbollah began daily rocket fire at northern Israeli communities, prompting thousands of residents to flee. Since November 2024, Israel has carried out numerous airstrikes against Hezbollah activities in violation of the ceasefire. The ceasefire completely collapsed on March 2 when Hezbollah fired rockets at northern Israel following the assassination of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, marking the terror group’s first launches in more than a year.
The IDF reported killing around 380 Hezbollah operatives and striking roughly 950 to 1,000 targets in 2025. These included launchers, weapons depots, military structures, and underground shafts. The IDF also accused Hezbollah of violating the ceasefire about 1,920 times during the year.
The ceasefire requires Hezbollah to withdraw its armed forces from southern Lebanon and prohibits it from operating south of the Litani River.