Israel to destroy all houses in Lebanese villages near border, defense minister says

Israel will destroy all homes in Lebanese villages near the border and 600,000 people who fled the south will not be allowed home until northern Israel is secure, the defence minister said on Tuesday, vowing ‌to inflict Gaza-like destruction in the area. "At the end of the operation, the IDF (Israeli military) will establish a security ⁠zone inside Lebanon — a line of defence against anti-tank missiles — and will maintain security control over the entire area up to ⁠the Litani River, including the remaining Litani bridges," he said ‌in a statement. "All houses in villages near the Lebanese border will be destroyed, in accordance with the model used in Rafah and Beit Hanoun in Gaza, in order to permanently remove the threats near the border to northern residents," he said.