We go to the part of southern Lebanon that Israel now controls

0:00This week on Here and Now Anytime, 25 years after 9-11, we asked you how your life changed. I did not appreciate that day how much September 11th would come to shape my adult life. We also talk about the long shadow of Islamophobia still hanging over the country. Listen to Here and Now anytime on the NPR app or anywhere you listen to podcasts. Today on State of the World, we go to the part of southern Lebanon that Israel now controls. You're listening to State of the World from NPR, a human perspective on global events. I'm Greg Dixon. Israel began trading fire with Hezbollah, a group in neighboring Lebanon, shortly after the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel.

0:48Hezbollah said its strikes were in retaliation for Israel's invasion of Gaza. Hezbollah is backed by Iran. So after the U.S. and Israel launched a war in Iran, Hezbollah again ramped up attacks on Israel. So Israel launched a ground invasion in parts of southern Lebanon. They said it was to create a, quote, buffer zone along the border. Over a million Lebanese civilians were displaced. The U.S. brokered a ceasefire this summer. But since that time, Israel has continued seizing territory and destroying villages. Lebanese residents have not been allowed to return. Israel now occupies almost 6 % of Lebanon.

1:29NPR's Jaina Raff was able to get rare access to that Israeli-controlled part of Lebanon, and she told Steve Inskeep about what she saw. How'd you get in? Well, we were traveling with U.N. peacekeepers. They're called UNIFIL. And we were with a quick reaction force, Finnish peacekeepers, a Finnish contingent, and French medical personnel. And Steve, their mission was to scout out new roads in areas that are now under Israeli control. They were scanning for roadside bombs and other hazards. So we're going along these destroyed roads, and we were able to stand up in the turret of the armored vehicle we were in.

2:08This is a bit of what we were seeing. We're now a few miles into Israeli-occupied Lebanese territory, and I don't think we've seen a single person in miles. You can see evidence that Israel is indeed here. There are two Israeli flags flying from a building we just passed, fluttering over a completely devastated landscape, burned fields, demolished homes. We saw Hebrew road signs and Israeli military vehicles parked behind netting. Netting meant to deter Hezbollah drones. Steve, we've traveled through a lot of the South over the past two years since the war began, And these Israeli demolitions after the ceasefire has made that border area unrecognizable.

2:56Israel's defense minister says the destruction is to prevent threats. And he's made clear that Israel wants to ensure that Lebanese residents have nowhere to return to. And even as this is happening, I know that there's still fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. Did you see that? Well, that fighting is centered in territory that's still contested further south. The Lebanese government says at least 28 people, and that includes women and children, were killed in Israeli attacks over the last week. We saw smoke rising near the village of Mansouri and a drone. Lieutenant Vili Rivtanen and Staff Sergeant Vila Unileinen from the Finnish contingent explain what's happening.

3:38There is a drone right on top of Mansouri. You see the drone? You see it? There has been an explosion in there. There's a smoke rising from there. Yeah. Now we are photographing the drone and surrounding the area for a report. So, Steve, for 48 years, UNIFIL's job has been to document ceasefire violations along that border. Their mission ends this year. Israel and the U.S. have made sure of that. And there are efforts to extend the mission, but it looks like those aren't going to be successful. What is that peacekeeping force saying about what's happening? Well, the deputy commander, Harvey Lecoq, says they've seen the Israeli military entrenching.

4:24He says they've established new semi-permanent positions. And he says they've also been denying requests to rebuild civilian infrastructure there. Long haul. NPRS Jaina Raff and Beirut, thanks so much. Thank you.

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