17 April 2010

BEIRUT: As tensions continue over Israeli accusations of Scud missiles being transferred to Hizbullah, local residents in the south took matters into their own hands on Friday, removing barbed wire installed by the Israelis earlier this week.

Marjayoun-Hasbaya MP Qassem Hashem, a member of the Baath Party, led a demonstration of some 20 villagers from Abbasiyeh, who took the latest step in what has been a series of incidents across the controversial Blue Line, drawn by the UN after Israel’s 2000 pullout from most of the south.

At the site, Hashem said that the land was “Lebanese, and we don’t recognize either blue or red lines in Ghajar, Abbasiyeh, the Shebaa Farms and Kfar Shouba hills.”

He said that any attempt by the Israelis to breach Lebanese territory would be similarly rebuffed, because “neither the international community nor international resolutions will give us back our rights.”

A spokesperson for UNIFIL, Andrea Tenenti, said the villagers also removed a minefield sign and placed Lebanese flags near the location, and indicated that the locals were guilty of crossing the Blue Line.

Tenenti said that the demonstrators “crossed the Line of Withdrawal [the Blue Line] and arrived in the area of recent [Israeli arm]) activities, which is located about 50 meters south of the Line of Withdrawal.”

He said the demonstrators “removed signposts of a minefield as well as concertina wire which was laid by the [Israeli army] three days ago, and placed two Lebanese flags next to the Israeli technical fence.”

“A Lebanese Armed Forces was present at the location of the demonstration,” the statement continued.

A UNIFIL patrol was also deployed to the scene and  Lebanese Army personnel at the scene persuaded the protesters to “return north of the Line of Withdrawal.”

UNIFIL said it “contacted the parties to prevent any escalation of the situation, urging restraint and calling on them to take all the necessary steps in accordance with their obligations under UN Security Council Resolution 1701.”

Sources at the scene said the Israelis deployed two Merkava tanks and 10 armored vehicles along the technical fence, in addition to 60 soldiers, who aimed their weapons at the demonstrators, including Hashem.

Two Israeli soldiers then breached the Israeli technical fence and entered the disputed area, removing the Lebanese flags that had been erected in the area, while being monitored by Spanish peacekeepers on the Lebanese side of the border.

UNIFIL demanded “full respect of the Line of Withdrawal as identified by the UN in 2000” and said it was intensifying, in coordination with the Lebanese army, its presence along the Blue Line in that area to prevent further incidents.

The Blue Line is not recognized by some Lebanese groups, who object to its being drawn in a way that supposedly favors Israeli territory concerns. Israeli forces have, in the last week, breached the Israeli technical fence near the Blue Line to clear ground and install barbed wire.

On Tuesday, they approached a construction site for a tourist resort and de-activated a bulldozer at the site. UNIFIL personnel have been active in relaying messages between the sides, trying to prevent further incidents.

The tension comes as Hizbullah continues to decline to comment on whether it has received Scud missiles from Damascus, as claimed by senior Israeli leaders, and backed by the American government.

On Wednesday, the White House expressed “concern” about the reports of Scud transfers, and said it had informed the governments concerned, presumably Syria and Lebanon, about the matter.

Syria has denied the claims, while Lebanon has yet to make an official statement.

A Hizbullah government minister refused Friday to confirm or deny Israeli allegations that the militant group has acquired Scud missiles.

In the first Hizbullah comment on the Israeli charges, Agriculture Minister Hussein Hajj Hassan said the group was always arming and preparing itself but, “what we have is not their business.” – With AP

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