TEL AVIV: Israel will occupy southern Lebanon up to the Litani River to create a “defensive buffer”, Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday, spelling out for the first time Israel’s intent to seize territory amounting to nearly a tenth of Lebanon.

At a meeting with the military chief of staff, Katz said Israeli forces would “control the remaining bridges and the security zone up to the Litani,” a river that meets the Mediterranean about 30 km (20 miles) north of Israel’s border.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah said it would fight to prevent Israeli troops from occupying southern Lebanon, calling such a move an “existential threat” to the Lebanese state.

Separately, Lebanon has withdrawn accreditation from the Iranian ambassador and declared him persona non grata, demanding his departure from Lebanon by Sunday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday.

Beirut expels Iranian ambassador, declares him persona non grata

The ministry also summoned the Lebanese ambassador to Iran for consultations, citing what it described as Tehran’s violation of diplomatic norms and established practices between the two countries.

On the other hand, Hezbollah on Tuesday called the decision by Lebanon’s foreign ministry to expel the newly appointed Iranian ambassador a “sin”, and demanded the authorities “immediately reverse” the move.

“Hezbollah calls on the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister to demand that the Minister of Foreign Affairs... immediately reverse this decision because of its dangerous repercussions,” the Iran-backed group said in a statement, calling the move a “national and strategic sin”.

Israeli strike

Lebanon said an Israeli strike outside Beirut killed two people on Tuesday after several strikes on the capital’s southern suburbs overnight as the Israel-Hezbollah conflict entered its fourth week.

AFP correspondents saw destruction to an apartment building in Bshamoun, a mixed town in the Aley region, located in the mountains the capital to the southeast, outside of Hezbollah’s traditio-nal strongholds.

‘Refrain’

Israel should “refrain” from sending in forces to take control of a zone in south Lebanon, France’s foreign minister told AFP on Tuesday, saying such a move would have “major humanitarian consequences”.

“We urge the Israeli authorities to refrain from such ground operations, which would have major humanitarian consequences and would exacerbate the country’s already dire situation,” Jean-Noel Barrot said.

Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2026