'Hierarchy of sovereignty': Israel claims authority over 'which Lebanese areas are inhabitable'

Carys Garland is pleased to welcome Nadim Houry, Executive Director of the Arab Reform Initiative (ARI).

In this interview on France 24, he examines what Israel has termed the “Yellow Line doctrine” and argue that it represents not a legitimate security measure, but a systematic transformation of military practice into a tool for territorial control.

Drawing on recent developments in Gaza, Syria, and Lebanon, he argues that this doctrine operates as a legal façade for expanding occupation under the language of self-defence.

All the while, these practices actually undermine both ceasefire agreements and established principles of international law, particularly those governing occupation and civilian protection.

He says the destruction of Lebanese villages and the restriction of civilian return threaten their overall sovereignty, one in which Israel asserts unilateral authority over territory beyond its recognised borders.