Lebanon reported Israeli strikes near the main road leading to Beirut's international airport on Tuesday, amid escalating tensions as the UN Security Council convened an emergency session following the deaths of three peacekeepers in southern Lebanon. The incident occurred as Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz declared that Israeli forces would maintain a military presence in a significant portion of southern Lebanon beyond the conclusion of the ongoing conflict with Hezbollah. The strikes near the airport route disrupted traffic but did not damage the airport's operations, according to Lebanese authorities. The peacekeepers, part of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), were killed when an Israeli tank fired on an observation post in the town of Khiam, prompting condemnation from UN officials. UNIFIL stated the post was clearly marked and had been operational for years. France's UN ambassador called for an immediate investigation, stressing that attacks on peacekeepers may constitute a war crime.
Katz's statement marked a significant shift in Israel's public war aims, moving beyond the stated goal of dismantling Hezbollah's military capabilities to include territorial control. He said Israel would not accept any ceasefire that left Hezbollah armed and operational near the border. "We will not return to the old status quo," Katz said. "The area will be under Israeli military control until we have a long-term security arrangement." Residents in southern Lebanon towns such as Tyre and Nabatieh reported increased aerial surveillance and ground movements by Israeli forces in recent days. Hezbollah has not issued a formal response to the occupation threat but has continued launching rockets into northern Israel.
When Israel's defence minister says the country will occupy southern Lebanon indefinitely, that is not a war aim—it is a declaration of prolonged regional instability. Katz's words signal a willingness to redraw de facto borders by force, undermining both Lebanese sovereignty and international peacekeeping efforts. This escalates the conflict beyond a cross-border exchange into a potential occupation scenario with far-reaching humanitarian and geopolitical consequences.
