Israel's military has flattened most towns in occupied southern Lebanon and signaled it will push further north, which is devastating for Lebanese civilians and a growing risk to the wider region.

• Most of the 60 villages inside the Israeli-held zone in southern Lebanon are now mostly rubble, with homes, schools, mosques, hospitals and roads destroyed.
• Much of the damage came from bulldozers and planned demolitions rather than air strikes, even though a ceasefire is officially in place.
• Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has said the approach copies tactics used in Gaza and that Israel will not pull back from "security zones" in Lebanon or Syria.
• Churches, a convent and UNESCO-listed heritage sites have also been destroyed, undercutting the idea that only Muslim areas are being hit.
• Katz has pointed at Beirut's southern suburbs next, warning that over a million Shia residents could be displaced.

Outlook: Expect the demolitions and near-daily strikes to continue and the occupied zone to expand toward Beirut, with U.S. funding still underwriting the campaign.