A Lebanese soldier, left, and a UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) peacekeeper in Kfar Shuba, South Lebanon, Aug. 26, 2023. (Credit :Mohammad Yassine/L'Orient Today)
BEIRUT — Lebanon's caretaker public works minister Ali Hamieh announced Saturday the completion of the paving work connecting the border village of Kfar Shuba with adjacent hills. The roadwork began three weeks ago.
"This road extends from the village limits to the withdrawal line (Blue Line), on the border with occupied Palestine" (Israel), said the Hezbollah-affiliated minister, who noted that this road was subject to a governmental decree, "the first one establishing the presence of the Lebanese state in this liberated region" — where the Shiite party has a significant presence — following the withdrawal of Israeli forces in 2000.
He added that the decree also includes "an extension of the road towards the border," in a part of the territory under Israeli occupation.
The minister expressed gratitude to the Jihad al-Bina association for partially funding the roadworks. Hezbollah's main construction company, this organization has been subject to US sanctions since 2007.
Lebanon and Israel contesting one another's land claims, the Kfar Shuba region has been a focal point of tensions in recent months.
On June 8, a Lebanese farmer defended his piece of land against the incursion of an Israeli bulldozer. The following day, during a solidarity demonstration with that farmer in Kfar Shuba, Israeli soldiers fired tear gas toward Lebanese protesters.
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