Israeli bulldozers violating the technical fence and uprooting trees near Houla, South Lebanon, July 2, 2023. (Credit: Twitter/@alishoeib1970)
BEIRUT — Israeli bulldozers violated the technical fence and the Blue Line near the border with Lebanon near the border village of Houla on Sunday, according to the state-run National News Agency and several local Lebanese outlets. Israeli soldiers also fired bullets and a stun grenade, without causing any casualties, according to the same sources.
جرافات العدو تقتلع اشجاراً خارج السياج التقني و تخرق الخط الأزرق لمسافة متر أثناء عملية تنظيف لمحيط السياج عند الحدود بين بلدة #حولا و مستعمرة "المنارة" و جنود العدو يطلقون رصاصة وقنبلة صوتية على مواطنين تمكنوا من منع استمرار الخرق ، وانتشار للجيش اللبناني في المنطقة . pic.twitter.com/7uGC2RyrMZ
— علي شعيب || Ali Shoeib ?? (@alishoeib1970) July 2, 2023
Ali Chaeib, a correspondent for the Hezbollah channel al-Manar, tweeted several photos on Sunday with the text: "Enemy bulldozers uproot trees beyond the technical fence and violate the Blue Line over a distance of one meter, during an operation to clear the fence between Houla and the Manara settlement."
He added that Israeli soldiers "fired bullets and a stun grenade at citizens who managed to stop the incursion" into Lebanese territory and that the Lebanese army had deployed to the scene.
A spokesperson for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) told L'Orient-Le Jour Sunday evening that "the situation is calm" and urged "everyone to avoid any activity that could exacerbate tensions on the Blue Line." They added that UNIFIL was "looking into allegations published on Twitter about a violation of the Blue Line near Houla during Israeli works."
The Lebanese Army did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Blue Line was drawn in June 2000 by the UN after Israeli forces withdrew from southern Lebanon on May 25, 2000, ending an occupation that began in 1982. A large part of this border remains disputed.
Last week, Hezbollah announced that it had shot down an Israeli drone that had entered Lebanese airspace near the southern Lebanese village of Zebqine. Israeli violations of the border with Lebanon and of Lebanese airspace are common.
