Israel vows to occupy swathes of southern Lebanon to expand buffer zone

Defence minister outlines plans to destroy all homes and villages in area ‘in accordance with the model in Gaza’Israel says it will occupy swathes of south Lebanon and destroy the homes along the border to prevent the return of about 600,000 residents, prompting concerns of long-term forced displacement.The defence minister, Israel Katz, said that when fighting with Hezbollah ended, Israel would occupy the area under the Litani River, about 19 miles from the Israel-Lebanon border, as part of its so-called buffer zone inside southern Lebanon.