Amid the ongoing clashes on the southern border, today marks the ninth day, and concurrently with the war in Gaza, the "Blue Line," which delineates these borders established in 2000, has found its place on the list of accumulating human and material losses.
A rocket struck the headquarters of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in Naqoura, causing this international force's mission to falter, awaiting a resolution – be it a peaceful one or an escalation on the southern front.
This article is originally published in, translated from Lebanese newspaper Nidaa al-Watan.
It is worth noting that the controversy surrounding the extension of international forces in early September revolved around the "freedom of movement of UNIFIL." Is there any doubt today that this movement has become hampered?
The official spokesperson for UNIFIL, Andrea Tenenti, stated that Sunday witnessed intense exchanges of gunfire in various areas along the "Blue Line" between Lebanese and Israeli territories. He remarked, "Shells fell on both sides of the 'Blue Line,' and our headquarters in Naqoura was hit by a rocket. We are working to ascertain its source. At that time, UN peacekeepers were not in the shelters, and fortunately, no one was injured."
In light of these developments, which bode ill for Lebanon's security, particularly in the south, Iran's Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, made significant statements, beginning with Lebanon and extending to Gaza, warning of an escalation on both fronts. The semi-official Fars News Agency quoted him as saying, "If Zionist aggressions do not stop, all parties in the region have their fingers on the trigger."
In his statements to Al Jazeera, Abdollahian stated, "The expansion of the war fronts is possible," and emphasized that Iran, the region, and its stakeholders "will not stand idly by" in this situation.
Abdollahian's tour included visits to Baghdad, Damascus, and Beirut and culminated in Doha, where he met with Qatar's Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, as well as the head of Hamas' political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh.
In Tehran, the conservative newspaper "Kayhan" carried the headline on Sunday: "Nasrallah: All scenarios are ready, and the resistance is in an excellent position."
The Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, made this statement during his meeting with the Iranian Foreign Minister in Beirut's southern suburbs last Friday.
Simultaneously with the Iranian escalation, the Elysée Palace announced yesterday that President Emmanuel Macron "warned" his Iranian counterpart, Ebrahim Raisi, in a phone call about "any escalation or expansion of the war" between Israel and Hamas, "especially in Lebanon."
On Monday, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna is arriving in Beirut from Cairo, having commenced her regional tour in Israel.
On the ground, the Israeli army ordered the immediate evacuation of civilians and the closure of a four-kilometer zone along the northern border with Lebanon. Meanwhile, Hezbollah announced targeting Israeli military sites on the other side of the border.
In a statement, Hezbollah attacked the "Hannita Zionist outpost with guided missiles." In another late-night statement, the party announced that it targeted five Israeli border sites: Jall Al-Alam, Barka Risha, Ramiya, Al-Manara, and Al-Abbad. Israeli helicopters carried out an airstrike on the Jabal al-Plata area between Deir Ammar and Marwahin.