Netanyahu Instructs Military to Expand Security Buffer Zone in Southern Lebanon

By Al Jazeera Staff

*March 29, 2026*

Israeli forces have advanced toward the Litani River in southern Lebanon as part of operations to establish a security buffer zone, while hundreds gathered for the funerals of three journalists killed during coverage of the conflict.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the military on Sunday to expand the existing security buffer zone in southern Lebanon. "I have just instructed to further expand the existing security buffer zone. We are determined to fundamentally change the situation in the north [of Israel]," Netanyahu said in a video statement from the Northern Command.

The move aims to push Hezbollah fighters north of the Litani River, approximately 30 km (19 miles) from the Israeli border, replicating aspects of Israel's security approach in Gaza. Israel's operations follow Hezbollah rocket attacks on northern Israel that began in early March 2026, after the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Those attacks escalated tensions and contributed to violations of a November 2024 ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, which both sides have been accused of breaching—Israel through airstrikes and Hezbollah through rocket fire—preventing thousands of Israeli residents from returning to border communities.

Reporting from Tyre in southern Lebanon, Al Jazeera’s Obaida Hitto said fighting between Hezbollah and Israeli forces had intensified in recent hours. He reported that Israeli troops reached a tributary of the Litani River south of Qantara, near al-Muhaysibat on the eastern front. "This tributary... is just a few kilometres, and in some places, just a few hundred metres away from the actual Litani River," Hitto said, adding that Hezbollah sources anticipated significant upcoming clashes.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported at least 1,238 people killed in Lebanon since the cross-border fighting intensified on March 2, 2026, including 124 children, with more than 3,500 wounded. The ministry stated that 49 people were killed on Saturday and Sunday alone, including 10 rescue workers and three journalists. The United Nations has reported that more than 1.2 million people have been displaced in Lebanon.

On the Israeli side, Hezbollah rocket and drone attacks since October 2023 have killed at least 50 people in northern Israel, according to Israeli authorities, with ongoing fire in 2026 displacing around 60,000 residents near the border. Hezbollah has reported hundreds of its fighters killed in the clashes, though it does not release official tallies.

Funerals for Three Journalists Killed in Israeli Strike

Hundreds of mourners gathered on Sunday in Choueifat, south of Beirut, for the funerals of three journalists killed in an Israeli airstrike on their vehicle in Jezzine the previous day. Lebanon's government described the strike as a "blatant crime."

The deceased included Ali Shoeib, a correspondent for Al-Manar TV, which is affiliated with Hezbollah; Fatiman Ftouni of Al Mayadeen, a channel often supportive of Hezbollah and other Iran-backed groups; and her brother, cameraman Mohammad Ftouni.

Israel's military stated that it targeted Shoeib, whom it identified as a member of Hezbollah's intelligence unit, accusing him of reporting on Israeli troop locations. The military described him as a "terrorist" and said the strike was precise. It did not immediately comment on the deaths of Ftouni and her brother.

The journalists were buried in a temporary graveyard amid intermittent rain, a practice used during wartime when hometown burials are not feasible. "Fatima and Ali were heroes," said a relative of Ftouni, who gave only his first name as Qassem, speaking to AFP news agency.

Al Jazeera’s Hitto described the atmosphere in southern Lebanon as one of "grief, but also defiance," with media members stating they would continue reporting despite risks.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told France 3 public broadcaster that journalists in war zones "must never be targeted," even if they have links to conflict parties. "If it is indeed confirmed that the journalists in question were deliberately targeted by the Israeli army, then this is extremely serious and a blatant violation of international law," he said.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has recorded at least 11 Lebanese journalists and media workers killed by Israeli forces since hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah began in 2023. Those clashes were paused by a November 2024 ceasefire, which has seen repeated violations by both sides, including Israeli airstrikes and Hezbollah rocket launches.

In Gaza, where Israel fought Hamas from October 2023 until an October 2025 ceasefire—also subject to mutual violations—CPJ documented 210 Palestinian journalists and media workers killed by Israeli forces.

Israel's military has stated that its operations in Lebanon target Hezbollah infrastructure and fighters to neutralize threats, including rocket launch sites that have fired thousands of projectiles toward Israel since 2023. Hezbollah, part of Iran's "Axis of Resistance," entered the broader conflict with Iran-aligned groups after initial exchanges in solidarity with Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel.

The expansion of ground operations occurs amid heightened regional tensions, including reported U.S. and Israeli actions against Iran.

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