BEIRUT: Israel’s systematic targeting of bridges over the Litani River marks a significant escalation in its military campaign in Lebanon, which is shifting from airstrikes and evacuation warnings to the deliberate severing of southern Lebanon from the rest of the country.
Lebanese officials and military sources believe the strikes on key crossings linking areas north and south of the Litani were aimed at creating a geographic divide that would isolate large parts of the south, disrupt aid and relief operations and restrict movement across the region.
In recent weeks Israeli operations have progressed from issuing evacuation orders for villages south of the Litani to warning residents ahead of strikes on bridges and major roads.
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz said he had ordered the military to destroy all bridges over the river linking the south to Beirut and the Bekaa region as they were being used to transport weapons to Hezbollah.
Why are the bridges so important?
