The newly established Movement for Settlement in South Lebanon is advocating for Israeli settlement up to the Litani River, sparking significant debate in Lebanon.
On June 10, the movement reportedly sent drones and balloons from the Israeli settlements of Hanita and Adamit into Lebanon, carrying leaflets in Hebrew and Arabic instructing South Lebanon residents to evacuate.
The leaflets read, "Warning! This is the Land of Israel belonging to the Jews. You are required to evacuate immediately," and included a map indicating the evacuation direction. While there were no reports in Lebanon confirming the arrival of these messages, reactions were swift.
A four-minute Arabic video circulated on social media, questioning the movement's intentions and plans. The video described the movement as a right-wing Israeli group with over 800 members, founded on April 10 by Prof. Amos Azaria and his colleagues. The movement aims to establish Jewish settlements in South Lebanon, asserting that the new Israeli border should be along the Litani River—a region referenced in discussions about pushing Hezbollah terrorists northward.
The movement's first virtual conference, held last week, further fueled online discussion. Topics included "Lebanon in the Bible," "Lebanon from the Second Temple Period to Today," "Legal Aspects of Settlement in Lebanon" and "Successful Settlement Models from the Past and Lessons for South Lebanon."
Arab media reports indicated that hundreds of Israeli settlers participated in the conference. Palestinian newspaper Al-Quds noted that calls for Jewish settlement in South Lebanon, while seemingly far-fetched, could become a reality.
Prior to the movement's official formation, statements by Israeli figures about settling in South Lebanon had already gained attention in Arab media. In January, Qatar's The New Arab quoted Daniella Weiss, head of the Nahala settlement movement, discussing the possibility of building Israeli settlements in South Lebanon.