Reaching the Litani: IDF is expanding Lebanon security zone, PM Netanyahu says; one Israeli soldiers killed, 7 wounded in fighting

Peloni:  Permanent positions should be setup within Lebanon.  This is how fundamentally changing the situation in the North might be achieved.

Netanyahu again vows to ‘fundamentally change the situation in the north’

All Israel News Staff | Published: March 30, 2026

Troops of the IDF’s 146th operating in southern Lebanon amid fighting with Hezbollah, March 29, 2026. Photo by IDF.

Israeli troops have reached the Litani River in some areas, Israeli media reported, as the IDF continues to destroy Hezbollah infrastructure across southern Lebanon. One soldier was killed and seven others were wounded to varying degrees during the fighting on Sunday.

“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,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said after a security assessment at the IDF Northern Command on Sunday.

Israeli news outlets reported on Sunday that troops, as in 2024, have reached the Litani River in the eastern sector, at a distance of 8-10 kilometers from the border. The Israeli Air Force has bombed most crossings over the river, trapping many Hezbollah operatives in southern Lebanon.

Meanwhile, the troops on the ground are operating under heavy rocket and mortar fire, which leaves them almost no time to seek cover. According to Ynet News, soldiers have between zero and five seconds to find shelter amid incoming attacks.

On Sunday, Liran Ben Zion (19) was killed, and an officer was seriously wounded when their tank was hit by a Hezbollah anti-tank missile attack in the western sector.

In addition, two soldiers suffered serious wounds after being hit by an anti-tank missile in another incident.

Another soldier was severely injured, and two IDF soldiers were moderately injured, when a drone exploded close to them. Finally, an additional soldier sustained moderate injuries in an operational accident in southern Lebanon, the IDF said, noting that all were taken to hospitals.

Since the start of the new ground operation in Lebanon, five soldiers have been killed in battle, while over 30 were wounded.

In his statement, Netanyahu noted that Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah are not the same as they were before the war. “These are no longer terrorist armies that threaten our existence; these are battered enemies fighting for their own survival. Instead of them surprising us, we are surprising them. We are the ones taking action, we are the ones attacking, we are the ones taking the initiative, and we are deep within their territory.”

He stressed that, as a lesson from Oct. 7, Israel has “created three security zones deep within enemy territory,” including in Syria, Gaza, and Lebanon.”

Despite these comments, military sources told Ynet that Israeli forces are mobile and do not plan to set up permanent positions within Lebanon.

They also explained that Hezbollah is being pushed back almost without engaging in face-to-face battles, as the terrorists prefer to launch hundreds of rockets, drones, mortars and anti-tank missiles from afar.

In recent battle updates, the IDF stated that special troops from the Alpinist Unit conducted a targeted operation to thwart attempts by terrorist organizations to establish a foothold along the Lebanon border.

“As part of the operation, the troops operated in complex mountainous terrain, crossing on foot through deep snow from the Syrian Hermon to the Mount Dov area in southern Lebanon to scan the area, gather intelligence, and locate enemy terrorist infrastructure, using the specialized capabilities of the mountain commando unit.”

Troops of the 91st Division identified Hezbollah terrorists attempting to plant explosive devices and launch mortar shells toward soldiers during recent operations.

“In a rapid targeting cycle, the soldiers fired and eliminated the terrorists. No IDF injuries were reported. In addition, IDF soldiers located a weapons depot in southern Lebanon containing dozens of anti-tank missiles, grenades, and explosives intended to target IDF soldiers.”

Meanwhile, the Israeli Air Force continues its bombing campaign against Hezbollah across Lebanon.

On Monday, the IDF announced that “a cell of Hezbollah military operatives who were dressed as paramedics and operated near an ambulance” had been struck two days ago.

“The military operatives targeted in the strike systematically used ambulances to transfer weapons between northern to southern Lebanon… in the past month alone, dozens of rockets have been launched… from areas in which these terrorists operated, while they exploited ambulances and medical infrastructure for military purposes.”

The IDF released a statement on the killing of Ali Hassan Shoaib, a Radwan Force operative who posed as a journalist for Hezbollah-affiliated media and officially joined Hezbollah’s military wing in 2020.

“In the same strike, Mohammad Fatouni, an additional terrorist in Hezbollah’s military wing, who also operated under the guise of a journalist, was eliminated. The IDF is aware of reports that an additional female journalist who was with the terrorists was killed in the strike. We emphasize that the IDF directs its strikes to target terrorists, and not journalists, and is operating to mitigate harm to civilians as much as possible,” the IDF said.

“The IDF is also aware of the report that, following the strike, Haj Khalil and Mohsen Ali Alshami, two additional Hezbollah terrorists who operated under the guise of paramedics, approached the area and were hit.”

In his statement, Netanyahu stressed that despite the successes in reducing Hezbollah’s arsenal and overall military strength, the terror group “still has a residual capability to launch rockets at us.”

“What I discussed today with the commanders here are the ways to remove this threat as well. Dear citizens of Israel, I obviously cannot share these discussions with you, but I can tell you that we are determined to fundamentally change the situation in the north.”