The BBC has visited occupied areas of southern Lebanon alongside a UN peacekeeping humanitarian mission, finding evidence that Israel is consolidating and expanding its military presence there rather than withdrawing, despite a ceasefire announced in June. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has instructed the military to prepare for a "long-term presence" in the region, which Israel says is intended to create a "security zone" protecting northern Israeli communities from Hezbollah rocket, drone and ground-invasion threats. This matters because it raises questions over Israel's commitment to the ceasefire and risks prolonging the humanitarian and economic hardship of southern Lebanon's Shia Muslim communities, who have already endured three Israeli invasions in two decades.

The occupied strip covers roughly 5% of Lebanese territory, extending up to 10km from the border in places, and villages within it have reportedly been flattened by air strikes and demolitions that have continued after the ceasefire. According to Unifil, the UN peacekeeping force, Israel has built four new bases, bringing its total positions to nine, alongside service roads, fortifications and other military infrastructure; Israeli forces had already remained at five points following the previous 2024 war in violation of the deal that ended it. Unifil spokeswoman Kandice Ardiel said Israeli civilian personnel had also been observed carrying out demolition and engineering work supporting military activity, while human rights groups say some of Israel's actions may amount to deliberate destruction of civilian infrastructure and a possible war crime.