Israel orders destruction of bridges in Lebanon and homes near Israeli border
By Alexander Cornwell
TEL AVIV, March 22 (Reuters) - Israel's military has been ordered to destroy all bridges over Lebanon's Litani River and to step up the demolition of Lebanese homes near the Israeli border, the country's defence minister said on Sunday.
Earlier, an Israeli was killed in his car near the border with Lebanon after what the military described as a "launch" from Lebanese territory. It was the first Israeli civilian death linked to fire from Lebanon in the current war. Two Israeli soldiers have also been killed in fighting in southern Lebanon.
International law generally prohibits militaries from attacking civilian infrastructure, and the United Nations human rights chief has criticised Israel's actions in Lebanon, particularly its use of widespread evacuation orders.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said the military had been ordered to destroy all bridges over the Litani River used for "terrorist activity," to prevent Hezbollah militants and weapons from moving south. He also said the military was ordered to accelerate the demolition of Lebanese homes in "frontline villages" to neutralize threats to Israeli communities.
Katz described the approach as similar to the model used in Beit Hanoun and Rafah in Gaza, where the military created buffer zones by clearing and demolishing buildings near the border.
The remarks were made during a meeting with the military chief of staff and other senior officials, his office said.
INTENSIVE BOMBING CAMPAIGN
Israel has carried out an intensive bombing campaign on southern Lebanon and areas of Beirut targeting Hezbollah, after the Iran-backed militant group opened fire on Israel in response to Israel's killing of Iran's supreme leader.
On March 13, the military destroyed a bridge over the Litani River for the first time in the current war. It said it was used by Hezbollah, and destroyed two more bridges on March 18.
Israeli soldiers have also carried out what the military describes as ground maneuvers and targeted raids on villages that it says are targeting Hezbollah militants and weapons.
Israeli officials say the air and ground campaigns are aimed at protecting residents in northern Israel near the Lebanese border from Hezbollah attacks. More than 1,000 people in Lebanon have been killed so far and hundreds of thousands have been displaced.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot met with his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Saar, in Jerusalem on Friday, telling reporters that he had expressed France's reservations about a ground operation of "significant scale and duration".
Barrot said he had urged Lebanese and Israeli officials to find a lasting solution, which he said could not be achieved through military force alone.
Earlier this month, Katz warned the Lebanese government it would face infrastructure damage and territorial losses unless Hezbollah was disarmed. The Lebanese government has outlawed Hezbollah military activity and said it wanted to engage in direct talks with Israel.
(Reporting by Alexander Cornwell; Editing by Christina Fincher)
