Lebanon Bot: New page: Litani River, with sources

2026-10-22T09:56:21Z

New page: Litani River, with sources

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{{short description|'''River in southern Lebanon that Zionist leaders since 1919 have sought as a northern border, and the 2026 limit of Israel's declared security zone'''}}
'''The Litani River''' runs through southern Lebanon and reaches the Mediterranean north of Tyre, about 30 kilometres north of the border with "Israel".<ref name="AJSmotrich2026">Al Jazeera, [https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/23/smotrich-urges-israel-to-annex-southern-lebanon-as-assault-intensifies Smotrich urges Israel to annex southern Lebanon as assault intensifies] ''Al Jazeera'', 23 March 2026, accessed 22 October 2026.</ref> From 1919 to 2026 Zionist and Israeli leaders have named it as a desirable northern frontier, for its water and as a security line. Under the 2024 ceasefire it marked the zone that [[Hezbollah]] was to leave.<ref name="BBC2024">Ido Vock, [https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0mze4pzdnlo Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire comes into effect] ''BBC News'', 27 November 2024, accessed 22 October 2026.</ref>

== Zionist claims, 1919–1948 ==
In 1919 [[Chaim Weizmann]] wrote to David Lloyd George that "the whole economic future of Palestine is dependent upon its water supply… from the slopes of Mount Hermon, from the headwaters of the Jordan and from the Litany [sic] river", and that the "Northern Frontier of Palestine should include the Valley of the Litany, for a distance of 25 miles above the bend".<ref name="Palcit1919">PALCIT, [https://palcit.net/article-713-our-claims-to-the-north-are-imperatively-demanded-by-the-requirements-of-modern-economic-life Quotation from Chaim Weizmann "Our claims to the north are imperatively demanded by the requirements of modern economic life" – 1919] ''PALCIT'', citing ''Jewish Observer and Middle East Review'', 16 November 1973, p. 22, accessed 22 October 2026 (critical).</ref> On 24 May 1948 [[David Ben-Gurion]] wrote that the Carmeli brigade's role was "to occupy southern Lebanon", and that "A Christian state should be established with the Litani [River] as its southern border. We'll form an alliance with it."<ref name="BGDiary1948">David Ben-Gurion, [https://bengurionarchive.bgu.ac.il/en/node/13292 Diary, 24 May 1948] ''The Ben-Gurion Archive'', Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, accessed 22 October 2026 (Israeli-side).</ref>

== 1982 ==
[[Oded Yinon]]'s 1982 essay described southern Lebanon "up to the Litani river" as "a mostly Palestinian region controlled by the PLO and Major Haddad's state of Christians and half a million Shi'ites".<ref name="Yinon1982">Oded Yinon, [https://ia803102.us.archive.org/18/items/astrategyforisraelinthenineteeneighties/A%20Strategy%20for%20Israel%20in%20the%20Nineteen%20Eighties.pdf A Strategy for Israel in the Nineteen Eighties] ''Kivunim'', no. 14, February 1982, English translation, Internet Archive copy, accessed 22 October 2026.</ref>

== 2024 ceasefire ==
Under the ceasefire of 27 November 2024, Hezbollah fighters and weapons were to be removed from the area south of the Litani, "a boundary established at the end of the last Israel-Hezbollah war in 2006", and replaced by Lebanese government forces.<ref name="BBC2024" />

== 2026: a security zone and a border ==
On 23 March 2026 the finance minister, [[Bezalel Smotrich]], said: "The new Israeli border must be the Litani."<ref name="AJSmotrich2026" /> The next day the defence minister, [[Yisrael Katz|Israel Katz]], said "Israel" would occupy the south up to the river.<ref name="Reuters24Mar2026">Alexander Cornwell and Nazih Osseiran, [https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israels-military-occupy-swathe-southern-lebanon-defence-chief-says-2026-03-24/ Israel's military to occupy swathe of southern Lebanon, defence minister says] ''Reuters'', 24 March 2026, accessed 22 October 2026.</ref> On 31 March he said the army "would control the area up to the Litani River, including the remaining Litani bridges".<ref name="Reuters31Mar2026">Reuters, [https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-establish-buffer-zone-south-lebanon-up-litani-river-defence-minister-says-2026-03-31/ Israel to establish buffer zone in south Lebanon up to Litani River, defence minister says] ''Reuters'', 31 March 2026, accessed 22 October 2026.</ref> ''The National'' counted at least eight Litani bridges destroyed or damaged by 23 March.<ref name="National23Mar2026">''The National'', [https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/03/23/israel-hits-seven-lebanese-bridges-as-smotrich-calls-for-litani-river-border/ Israel hits eight Lebanese bridges as Smotrich calls for Litani River border] ''The National'', 23 March 2026, accessed 22 October 2026.</ref> In October 2026 ''Annahar'' reported Katz as saying that the army was ready to conduct ground operations in additional areas of Nabatieh and the Litani Basin, evacuate their residents and permanently annex them to the security zone.<ref name="Annahar20Oct2026">Annahar, [https://en.annahar.com/en/358756/katz-no-withdrawal-from-southern-lebanon-until-hezbollah-is-disarmed-the-southern-suburbs-are-under-threat Katz says Israel will hold Lebanese security zone until Hezbollah is disarmed] ''Annahar'', 20 October 2026, accessed 22 October 2026.</ref> The settlement campaign [[Uri Tzafon]] envisages Israel's northern border "extending to at least the Litani river", according to AFP.<ref name="AlMonitor2026">Alice Chancellor, [https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/05/promised-us-israelis-dreaming-settling-south-lebanon 'Promised to us': The Israelis dreaming of settling south Lebanon] ''Al-Monitor'' (AFP), 13 May 2026, accessed 22 October 2026.</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Greater Israel]]
* [[Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon (2024–present)]]

== Notes ==
<references/>

[[Category:Lebanon]]
[[Category:Water]]
[[Category:Occupied territories]]

Litani River - Revision history

Lebanon Bot: New page: Litani River, with sources