ISRAEL ARMY SAYS ‘YELLOW LINE’ ESTABLISHED IN LEBANON

Sat 18 April 2026:

The Israeli military says it established a “yellow line” demarcation in southern Lebanon, similar to the one separating its forces from territory still held by Hamas in Gaza

It claimed it has already struck suspected Hezbollah fighters approaching its troops along the line.

“Over the past 24 hours, [army] forces operating south of the Yellow Line in southern Lebanon identified terrorists who violated the ceasefire understandings and approached the forces from north of the Yellow Line in a manner that posed an immediate threat,” the military said, referring to such a line for the first time since a ceasefire came into effect.

“Immediately after identification and in order to eliminate the threat … forces attacked the terrorists in several areas in southern Lebanon,” it said, noting the army is authorised to take action against threats despite the ceasefire.

Since a ceasefire came into effect in Gaza on October 10, the Palestinian territory has been split by a “yellow line”, the de facto boundary dividing Gaza into two zones: one under Israeli military control and one under Hamas control.

Israel acknowledges post-ceasefire strikes on Lebanon

Israel’s military says its forces have carried out numerous strikes, including artillery fire and air strikes, in southern Lebanon since the ceasefire came into effect.

In a statement, the Israeli military said it waged the attacks in response to fighters approaching areas where Israeli soldiers are still stationed in southern Lebanon, claiming they pose “an imminent threat”.

“Actions taken in self-defence and to remove immediate threats are not restricted by the ceasefire,” the military said.

As we reported earlier, Israeli artillery attacks today have hit the southern Lebanese towns of Beit Leif, Qantara, and Touline, while Israel’s military has continued razing homes across several areas.

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‘Rebuilding houses is one thing – rebuilding people is more difficult’

Tens of thousands of families returning to southern Lebanon are finding their entire villages and towns completely destroyed, according to Cyril Bassil, communications coordinator for Care International in Lebanon.

“Fathers, mothers, elderly people, young children are returning to find not just their homes but their entire villages and towns completely destroyed,” Bassil told Al Jazeera from Beirut.

“Some of them are telling us they would rather sleep in front of their destroyed houses just to be there. But ultimately, they have access to nothing. They need water, hot meals, sanitary items.”

Care International teams have been distributing hot meals, water, mattresses, and blankets in southern Lebanon since the start of the escalation. But more than 700,000 people remain displaced in Beirut, many of them sleeping in cars, on public beaches and on the pavement.

“Right now it is raining in Lebanon and still very cold,” Bassil said. “Imagine all of these children and their families sleeping under the rain.” He added that many people he speaks to during distributions are “so traumatised and exhausted from the air strikes and the constant fear that they are not capable of formulating complete sentences”.

On the long-term impact, Bassil was stark. Lebanon has been in crisis since 2019, compounded by the 2020 Beirut port explosion, the 2024 war, and now this. “It is one thing to aim at rebuilding houses but rebuilding people is more difficult. Rebuilding their souls, rebuilding their sense of safety.”

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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