Prior to the October 7th massacre, IDF officials believed buffer zones were unnecessary for national security.
By Hezy Laing
Israel has reportedly declined a U.S. request to withdraw from a significant portion of its northern security zone in Lebanon, despite agreeing to reduce military activity in the region.
The United States has been urging Israel to scale back operations to encourage the Lebanese government to take steps toward disarming Hezbollah.
This de-escalation period could be extended if Lebanon demonstrates further efforts to prevent Hezbollah from regrouping.
U.S. envoy Tom Barrack presented a proposal that called for Israel to fully withdraw from specific Lebanese villages and gradually suspend targeted strikes against Hezbollah.
The aim was to empower Beirut to assert greater control in southern Lebanon and curb Hezbollah’s influence.
While Israel agreed to some elements of the plan, it rejected the core demand to relinquish control over several evacuated villages near the border.
Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer reportedly told Barrack that Israel would scale back airstrikes and reposition some forces but insisted that these villages remain uninhabited and function as a sterilized buffer zone.
Israel even suggested that Lebanon could repurpose the area for industrial use, provided civilians were kept out.
Historically, Israel maintained a 20-kilometer-wide security zone in Lebanon from 1985 until 2000, covering about 10 percent of the country’s territory before withdrawing unilaterally.
However, the October 7 Hamas attacks have dramatically altered Israel’s strategic outlook.
Prior to those events, Israeli officials believed buffer zones were unnecessary for national security.
The surprise assault and its devastating impact on Gaza border communities shattered that belief, prompting a shift in doctrine.
Israel now insists that buffer zones must be physically fortified and actively controlled, not merely observed.
The psychological impact of October 7 has also influenced public sentiment.
Many Israelis now view ceasefires and international assurances as unreliable, favoring direct control of strategic terrain.
During the peak of the 2023–2024 conflict with Hezbollah, Israeli forces reportedly pushed up to 20 kilometers into Lebanon, reaching towns such as Bint Jbeil, Maroun al-Ras, and parts of the Wadi Saluki region, though they later withdrew from most of these areas.
The current buffer zone is narrower, typically extending no more than five kilometers into Lebanese territory.
It is designed to remain unpopulated and serve purely as a security barrier.
Military analysts estimate that several hundred IDF personnel are stationed across these outposts, focusing on surveillance, deterrence, and rapid response rather than full-scale occupation.
This deployment is closely coordinated with U.S. oversight and aims to uphold ceasefire conditions, particularly by keeping Hezbollah forces north of the Litani River.
