Israel said on Tuesday that its military would take control of southern Lebanon up to the Litani River to create a “security zone”, marking a major escalation in its campaign against Hezbollah, while Lebanon took the unprecedented step of declaring Iran’s ambassador persona non grata and ordering him to leave by Sunday.
As per news agency AFP, Israeli defence minister Israel Katz said the military “will control... the security zone up to the Litani”, around 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the border, and added that displaced Lebanese residents would not be allowed to return south of the river “until security is guaranteed for the residents of the north” of Israel.
