In the last few months, Israel has increased its strikes and annexed further territory in Southern Lebanon, a story that has been almost entirely ignored by the mainstream media.
As the New Arab reported, Israel - in violation of the ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah signed last November- has been striking Southern Lebanon to prevent reconstruction from Israel’s war last year.
The outlet reported:
Under the pretext that Hezbollah is attempting to rebuild its capabilities, Israel is carrying out a new military campaign in southern Lebanon, killing workers on construction sites, destroying machinery, and threatening engineers advocating for reconstruction.
The strategy appears aimed at pressuring the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah by preventing the return of civilians to the south and attempting to turn the Shia community against Hezbollah.
The escalation ramped up on 2 October, when an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon killed two engineers linked to a US-sanctioned company with alleged Hezbollah links.
In the following week, Israel carried out deadly attacks in Deir Aames and near Yater, killing two more people, including an operator on a bulldozer. On the night between 10 and 11 October, a massive strike hit a construction site near Msayleh, destroying hundreds of vehicles and killing one person.
The campaign further escalated on 12 October, when engineer and activist Tarek Mazraani, a founder of the association Assembly of Residents of Southern Border Localities, was publicly threatened in an audio broadcast by an Israeli drone for advocating reconstruction in border areas.
On Saturday, an Israeli drone fired three missiles at an excavator, killing its operator between the Sour and Bint Jbeil districts.
As the New Arab noted, “These repeated strikes reveal a broader strategy. By systematically destroying entire neighbourhoods and targeting construction efforts, Israel is making reconstruction virtually impossible, effectively holding southern Lebanon hostage and preventing more than 80,000 residents from rebuilding their communities.”
It noted, “Israel seems to be taking its offensive against Lebanon to a new level, targeting construction sites and workers to draw a red line around reconstruction in order to put pressure on Hezbollah to disarm, maintain control over the south, and gain leverage in talks with Lebanese authorities”.
This is far from the only recent Israeli escalation in Lebanon.
The New Arab also reported that in late October:
Israeli forces raided a Lebanese border village and killed a municipal worker … in a serious escalation that has caused outrage in the country, as Lebanese President Joseph Aoun instructed the army to respond to any incursions.
Israeli troops crossed at least a kilometre into Blida and took position in the municipality building for at least two hours, as residents said they could hear heavy gunfire. After pulling out from the village, it was revealed that municipal worker Ibrahim Salameh, who had been staying in the building, was killed.
Lebanese media reported that he was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers as they stormed the building.
Images of the blood-soaked bed and floor in the room where he slept were widely shared online, causing outrage among Lebanese and prompting widespread condemnation from officials.
The New Arab noted, “Blida is one of dozens of towns and village straddling the border with Israel that saw heavy destruction by Israeli forces last year.”
It added:
Separately … Israel conducted air raids near the areas of Jarmaq and Mahmoudieh in south Lebanon’s Nabatiyeh district.
Reports said Israeli jets fired several air-to-ground missiles, as explosions echoed throughout the region.
Earlier this month, as Al Jazeera reported, “The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) says Israeli soldiers have shot at its peacekeepers in their latest targeting of UNIFIL as Israel continues to attack Lebanon on a near-daily basis in violation of a yearlong ceasefire in its war against Hezbollah.”
Al Jazeera noted, “Israeli forces ‘fired on UNIFIL peacekeepers from a Merkava tank from near a position Israel has established in Lebanese territory’ the peacekeepers said in a statement, adding heavy-machinegun rounds hit about 5 metres from their personnel.”
The Lebanese army said, “The army command affirms that it is working in coordination with friendly countries to put an end to the ongoing violations and breaches by the Israeli enemy, which require immediate action as they represent a dangerous escalation” and UNIFIL said, “Yet again, we call on the [Israeli military] to cease any aggressive behavior and attacks on or near peacekeepers” in response to the attack.
Previously, in mid-October, the United Nations documented, “reports of grenades dropped near United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeepers for the second time this month, which resulted in injuries to one peacekeeper.”
The most serious escalation in Southern Lebanon happened earlier this week when Israel struck the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp in Southern Lebanon, killing 13 civilians and wounding many others.
Along with the increasing Israeli escalations in violation of the ceasefire agreement, Israel has continued to expand its territory into Southern Lebanon.
As Al Jazeera reported :
The United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) says the Israeli military has constructed walls in Lebanese territory that cross a UN-backed, unofficial “border” between the two countries.
In UNIFIL’s statement, the force said Israel had built “a concrete T-wall” southwest of Yaroun, a town in Lebanon’s southern Nabatieh district.
The wall extends across the so-called Blue Line and has made “more than 4,000 square metres of Lebanese territory inaccessible to the Lebanese people”, it added.
Established in 2000, the Blue Line is a 120km unofficial “border” drawn up by the UN between Lebanon and Israel.
The demarcation line’s main purpose is to confirm the withdrawal of the Israeli army from Lebanese territory as mandated by UN Security Council resolutions.
UNIFIL said, “another section of the wall, southeast of Yaroun, also extends beyond the Blue Line” adding, “Israeli presence and construction in Lebanese territory are violations of Security Council resolution 1701 and of Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
The National reported, “The Lebanese presidency has said the wall is ‘an infringement on Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity’. It has instructed Foreign Minister Youssef Raji to submit a complaint to the UN Security Council,” and noted that, “In Yaroun, residents view the land grab as a provocation by Israel. ‘This is a clear escalation, the Israelis came, took the land ,and the whole world supported them,’ resident Ali Qassem said”
The outlet reported that, “A Hezbollah source told The National the move was an ‘Israeli escalation’ and a ‘de facto annexation of Lebanese territory’. They said it ‘confirms Israel’s ambitions and its intention to continue its occupation and avoid committing to any agreement’”.
Israel seems to be turning its attention back to South Lebanon, increasing attacks in violation of the ceasefire, and beginning to expand territory for greater Israel.
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That Israel is allowed to flout international law continuously with impunity is one of the greatest mysteries of all time. It is simply unbelievable, but potentially explained by the fact that the U.S. empire has been doing the same thing since its founding.
Has the Lebanese government been bribed not to retaliate?