BEIRUT, September 8 — A BBC video report has documented the Israeli military’s continued presence in southern Lebanon, offering a rare look at an area that remains largely closed to outside observers. The footage, filmed during a visit in August, was published on September 2 after a BBC team joined a humanitarian convoy operated by the United Nations peacekeeping force known as Unifil.
The UN convoy is one of the only ways to access the occupied territory, and the visit itself was permitted by the Israeli military through a deconfliction mechanism with the UN. BBC correspondent Hugo Bachega accompanied the mission, with the resulting video, titled “Watch: BBC sees Israeli military presence in southern Lebanon,” running about a minute and a half.
Ceasefire has not stopped demolitions
The report states that Israel has flattened entire villages in southern Lebanon, similar to its actions in Gaza. Air strikes and demolitions have continued even after a ceasefire between Israel and the armed group Hezbollah was announced in June, according to the BBC’s findings. Western and Lebanese officials have told the BBC that the Israeli military is entrenching itself in the occupied areas.
Israel says its aim is to create what it calls a “security zone” to prevent Hezbollah attacks on northern Israel, and that the buildings it has destroyed were used by Hezbollah for military purposes. The report does not specify the exact number of villages flattened or the precise timeline of demolitions beyond noting they continued after the June ceasefire.
It also does not include casualty figures or interviews with Israeli officials or Hezbollah representatives, relying instead on the BBC’s direct observation and the statements of unnamed Western and Lebanese officials.
A rare window into occupied territory
The publication is accompanied by a related story titled “Israel expanding presence in Lebanon, officials say, as BBC visits occupied areas.” The video is part of the BBC’s broader Middle East coverage, which also includes items on Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank and recent US-Iran strikes. Unifil’s role as a key observer and humanitarian access mechanism in the occupied territory is underscored by the report, which notes the limited access to the area.
The BBC’s reporting does not speculate on future developments, but the officials’ description of an entrenching Israeli military suggests a prolonged presence. The report’s findings align with other BBC coverage of the region, highlighting the ongoing nature of the Israeli military presence and the international community’s concerns.
The report notes that the deconfliction mechanism with the UN allowed the BBC team to accompany the Unifil humanitarian mission, underscoring the limited access to the area.
