Israeli army fortifying positions in south Lebanon

One year after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, the Israeli army still maintains five positions in south Lebanon, with fortifications and widened access routes, according to satellite images analyzed by AFP.

The November 27, 2024 truce, which sought to end more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, required Israel to fully withdraw troops from Lebanon within 60 days.

Hezbollah was to pull its forces north of the Litani River, some 30 kilometers from the Israeli border, and its military infrastructure in the area was to be dismantled.

Israel has kept troops in five positions that it deems strategic, saying it wants to ensure Hezbollah does not carry out any military activities in south Lebanon.

AFP was able to pinpoint these bases through satellite images from Planet Labs PBC.

Located on ridges across the Blue Line -- the de facto border -- these positions allow the Israeli army to control a series of Lebanese border villages, a move it considers key to protecting nearby Israeli communities.

The positions offer a direct view of the towns and villages of Kfar Kila, Aita al-Shaab, Maroun al-Ras, Aitaroun, Blida, Markaba and Houla -- among the most destroyed by Israeli strikes and ground operations.

Satellite images show that all buildings near the Hatzivoni military outpost, between Houla and Markaba, have been destroyed.

Surrounded by fortifications including those made of earthen embankments, the positions of approximately one to two hectares (around 2.5 to five acres) in size are usually made up of a larger section housing temporary buildings and a smaller part generally for military vehicles.

The westernmost outpost in Labbouneh appears to have been built around 150 meters (500 feet) from a United Nations peacekeepers base and the Blue Line.

The easternmost base, on the Hamames hill, is the deepest position in Lebanese territory, located around 1.5 kilometers (almost one mile) from the border.

Satellite images also show that the access roads to these positions have been significantly widened to facilitate vehicle movement.

As in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army has carried out the systematic demolition of buildings and infrastructure in villages closest to the border, an area that was also heavily bombed.

According to a comparison of satellite images by American researchers Corey Scher and Jamon Van Den Hoek from the University of Oregon, last updated in late January, the village of Kfar Kila had been 65 percent destroyed, with Aita al-Shaab and Yarin at 57 percent and 55 percent destroyed respectively.