Israel's sweeping evacuation warnings in southern Lebanon now carry a hidden agenda: displacing Shiite Muslims to create a religiously cleansed buffer zone, according to New York Times reporting. While publicly urging all civilians to flee areas near the Israeli border, Israeli officials privately pressured Christian and Druze leaders to expel Shiite refugees sheltering in their communities, sources revealed. This targeted campaign mirrors Israel's Gaza strategy, with Defense Minister Katz declaring Shiites barred from returning until northern safety is guaranteed.

Human rights groups warn the moves constitute forced displacement, risking renewed sectarian violence in Lebanon's fragile post-civil war society.