Israeli Army Forces Throw Gas Bombs at Lebanese Protesters Denouncing Bulldozing of Lands

The Israeli army forces threw gas bombs at the people of Kfar Shuba and al-Arqoub during a vigil by the Lebanese people, denouncing the bulldozing of their lands by the same forces near the “Batha’el” pond and the “Hassan Gate” along the Lebanese-Israeli border.

Observers ruled out that the security tensions would reach armed clashes between Lebanon and Israel, unless the latter stormed the border and attacked the Lebanese there.

political and military dimensions

Brigadier General Khaled Hamadeh, a Lebanese security expert and director of the Regional Forum for Consultations and Studies, said that the movement on the southern border comes in a disputed Lebanese region. Israel claims that it is a Syrian region and Lebanon is not interested in liberating it, while Beirut clings to it, and it was the subject of previous disputes with Damascus. This problem has a legal and political face.

Hamadeh believes that the Lebanese move proves the Lebanese people’s adherence to these lands as rightful owners of them, and the occupation must end there, while the dispute with Syria remains an issue that must be resolved in the Arab world, stressing that the Lebanese army is constantly present on the southern borders, and it will only be by the side of the people and their impulses and supports The move they made because of the tampering with their property by an occupier who has no right to these lands or to any other Arab land, indicating that the army fulfilled its mission to protect the people there.

He pointed out that the army in this area is there to protect the people, while the legal dependency of the area is included in the disputed areas, and the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon usually intervene to solve any problems that arise over these lands between Israel and Lebanon.

The security expert ruled out that this matter would develop into clashes between Israel and the Lebanese army, as Lebanon is committed to Resolution 1701 and the rules of engagement in the south, and the issue of liberating these farms must be decided by the Lebanese government if there is resort to the military option, or the pursuit of international or diplomatic mediation. To compel the Israelis to withdraw from there and stop their occupation.

According to Hamada, until this moment, the issue will remain at this pace and will not lead to any clash between the two armies, unless in the event that Israel attempts to cross the strip and enter Lebanese territory, then the army will have no choice but to clash with all its capabilities.

For his part, Michael Awad, a Lebanese political analyst, considered that the security events between Israel and Lebanon have not yet reached the level of clashes, mere harassment during which the Lebanese army won over the sovereignty of its lands, and stood by the people of Kafr Shuba, whose property and lands were being attacked.

According to his interview with “Sputnik”, Israel initiated this step because it is in a state of panic, in fear of the strength of the Radwan unit (the elite unit of Hezbollah), and it expects that the resistance in Lebanon will begin its promised military operation against it at any moment.

Regarding the possibility of these frictions evolving into armed clashes between Israel and Lebanon, he said that this depends on the degree of Israeli restraint and stopping their attacks, while Hezbollah and the people of Kafr Shuba will not back down from their goal of protecting their property and rights.

UNIFIL forces

For its part, the Israeli Army Radio stated that Lebanese citizens from Kfar Shuba crossed the common border between Lebanon and Israel, removed barbed wire installed by the Israeli army and threw stones.

It is noteworthy that on the fourth of this month, the Lebanese army announced that an Israeli gunboat had breached the Lebanese territorial waters off Ras Naqoura.