Israeli Forces Establish Security Buffer Zone South of Litani River in Lebanon

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli ground forces had crossed Lebanon’s Litani River and were operating in Beirut and the Bekaa Valley, describing the advance as a tactical victory. The statement came on Friday as Israeli forces expanded operations against Hezbollah militants and warned thousands more Lebanese residents to leave villages in southern Lebanon.

U.S. military officials hosted Israeli and Lebanese defense representatives in Washington on Friday to pursue a U.S.-brokered plan aimed at forging peace between the two countries and disarming Hezbollah. The meetings occurred while Israeli troops pushed deeper into Lebanon and as cease-fire talks continued.

Netanyahu also said he had ordered the Israeli military to take control of 70 percent of the Gaza Strip. The Litani River crossing marks an expansion of the ground offensive that began earlier this month.