Israel says the roughly 10-kilometer-deep zone is intended to prevent Hezbollah fighters from establishing positions close to Israeli territory following months of cross-border fighting. The military presence was announced in late March during intense hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah as the wider conflict involving Iran continued.

The buffer zone follows similar security belts established by Israel in Gaza and Syria, reflecting a broader shift in military strategy after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

For veterans who served in Israel’s former security strip in southern Lebanon before the country’s withdrawal in 2000, the renewed deployment has revived memories of a prolonged campaign marked by frequent casualties, roadside explosives and guerrilla warfare.

Gil Shely, who served in southern Lebanon during the late 1980s, said commanders at the time repeatedly told soldiers they were protecting northern Israel, but he now questions that rationale after years of conflict.

“When I hear news that a soldier has been killed there, I am crushed. My heart screams out for the unnecessary sacrifice,” said Shely, whose youngest son is preparing to begin compulsory military service.

According to the information provided, Israel has lost dozens of soldiers since March, when Hezbollah launched missile attacks that prompted a major Israeli military offensive. The fighting displaced around one million people in Lebanon and killed thousands, including hundreds of civilians. Hezbollah has not disclosed its own casualty figures.

Another veteran, Erez, who served in Lebanon during the 1990s and requested that only his first name be used, said he lost many friends during Israel’s earlier deployment. His son is now serving in the current buffer zone.

“We hoped we would never have to go back,” he said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has defended the policy, describing the security zone as a fundamental change in Israel’s approach to border security. During a visit to troops on June 30, he said the buffer prevents what he described as terrorist forces from re-establishing positions along Israel’s frontier and allows the military to eliminate infrastructure used to launch attacks.

Much of the occupied area is now largely devoid of civilians after residents fled villages heavily damaged during the fighting. Military vehicles continue to patrol roads lined with destroyed buildings, while periodic explosions remain audible across the area.

A reservist who also served in Lebanon before Israel’s withdrawal in 2000 said Hezbollah’s military capabilities have expanded significantly over the past two decades but argued that military force alone cannot deliver lasting security. Speaking anonymously, he said soldiers often lack a clear understanding of the long-term objective of the deployment.

Criticism has also come from members of the Four Mothers movement, the campaign led largely by mothers of Israeli soldiers that helped build public support for Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000.

Rachel Madpis Ben-Dor, a founder and chair of the movement, said she fears Israel is repeating the mistakes of the past. A resident of northern Israel, she said her community seeks security but also hopes for peace with Lebanon rather than a prolonged military presence across the border.

Others argue that current security realities leave Israel with limited alternatives. Benny Gantz, a former defense chief who oversaw the closure of the border following Israel’s withdrawal in 2000, said military measures must be combined with diplomacy to achieve lasting stability. He said the buffer zone was necessary under current circumstances but expressed hope that an agreement would eventually allow Israeli forces to withdraw.

Israel and Lebanon are currently participating in U.S.-backed talks in Rome based on an initial framework agreement aimed at securing Hezbollah’s disarmament and ultimately reaching a broader peace arrangement, although Hezbollah has rejected demands to surrender its weapons.