Litani border rhetoric risks undermining war effort against Hezbollah

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated on Tuesday that Israel would occupy southern Lebanon up to the Litani River to create a defensive buffer, following similar remarks by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. These statements and accelerated demolition of homes in border villages signal a potential policy shift from targeted raids to a broader territorial objective, risking strategic confusion and undermining Israel's justification for its actions.