Israel's Netanyahu orders expansion of southern Lebanon operations to halt Hezbollah rockets

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he had ordered the military to further expand its operations in southern Lebanon, citing continued rocket fire by Hezbollah.

Israel said last week it was enlarging a "buffer zone" up to the Litani River. It was not immediately clear whether Netanyahu was referring to that area or to the seizure of additional territory.

"I have now instructed to further expand the existing security zone in order to finally thwart the threat of invasion and to push the anti-tank missile fire away from our border," Netanyahu said in a video statement from ⁠Israeli Northern Command.

His office declined to provide further details, and the matter has not yet been discussed by the security cabinet.

Last week, Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israeli forces would "control the remaining bridges and the security zone up to the Litani," a river that meets the Mediterranean about 30 km (20 miles) north of Israel's border.

Iran-backed Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel after the United States and Israel launched air strikes on Iran.

More than 400 fighters from Hezbollah have been killed since the Lebanese armed group launched the opening salvoes of a new war with Israel on March 2, sources ⁠familiar with Hezbollah's count told Reuters.

Israeli strikes and ground operations have killed more than 1,100 people in Lebanon, including children, women and medical personnel, according to the Lebanese health ministry. It does not otherwise distinguish between civilians and combatants.

The Israeli military has said four of its soldiers have been killed in fighting in ⁠southern Lebanon.

Netanyahu said the decision aimed to strengthen Israel's security position along its northern frontier.

"We eliminated thousands of Hezbollah terrorists, and above all, we eliminated the immense threat of 150,000 missiles and rockets that were intended ⁠to destroy the cities of Israel," he said.

"However, Hezbollah still has a residual capability to launch rockets at us...we are determined to fundamentally change the situation in the north."

He said Israel was ⁠conducting a multi-front campaign against Iran and allied groups, including Hezbollah and Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza, and said Israel's actions were weakening Iran’s regional influence.