Inside the buffer zone: Israeli military presence and destruction between Kfarkela and Odaisseh

Report by Edmond Sassine, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

In the area between Kfarkela and Odaisseh, Israeli forces have established a buffer zone monitored by Israeli drones. 

The road leading to Odaisseh now passes through the extensive destruction of Kfarkela's inner neighborhoods. 

Amid the rubble and winding roads within Kfarkela, the separation wall is visible from a distance, with Israeli military positions and settlements behind it. The war has dramatically altered the landscape here.  

Reaching Odaisseh sometimes requires asking locals for directions, as Kfarkela and Odaisseh are difficult to navigate due to the severe damage. The internal roads are carved through the debris, while the distance itself is part of the zone imposed by Israel as a buffer.  

An inspection of the Kfarkela-Odaisseh road reveals the barbed wire running along the route, where trees that once lined the area have been uprooted. 

The Lebanese Army has blocked the main road leading from Odaisseh to Kfarkela. Behind the separation wall, earthen barriers and concrete blocks have been placed by the Israeli army.  
 
At the Misgav Am site, military vehicles and soldiers can be observed. The buffer zone is not limited to just the Kfarkela-Odaisseh road and the separation wall; another buffer zone stretches between Tell en Nhas and Tallet El Hamames.