Shrine site added to five occupied Israeli areas: Backstory of 'religious site' in South Lebanon's Houla

Report by Edmond Sassine, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi  

Images have surfaced showing hundreds of Israeli settlers praying inside Lebanese territory at Sheikh Abbad Hill in the southern village of Houla. 

The site is situated between an Israeli military outpost and a United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) position.  

Israeli religious groups claim that the burial site belongs to a Jewish rabbi, Rav Ashi, while Lebanese residents assert that it is the grave of Sheikh Abbad. 

In 2000, the Blue Line—drawn by the United Nations after Israel's withdrawal from South Lebanon—cut directly through the site, with a barbed-wire fence placed over it, effectively dividing the shrine between the liberated and occupied sides.  

Between 2000 and 2006, extremist religious groups from Israel would sneak into the site from the Israeli-controlled side. After the 2006 war, these visits ceased. 

However, following the latest war and during the ongoing truce, Israeli settlers reportedly stormed the Lebanese side of the shrine, renovated it, and painted it blue.  

On Friday, the same scene repeated itself under the protection of the Israeli army, with settlers gathering at the site for prayer. Photos indicate that the barbed-wire barrier is no longer in place, allowing settlers to move freely around the shrine without restriction.  

The incursion into Lebanese territory near Houla and the alteration of the shrine's demarcation reflect yet another Israeli breach of Lebanese sovereignty. It also signals Israel's increasing freedom of movement in South Lebanon, extending further into Lebanese territory.  

The violation at Houla adds to other contested areas along the border, including buffer zones near Kfarkela-Odaisseh, Bastara Farm, Dhayra, Ras Naqoura, and the area between Rmeish and Aita Al-Shaab. These locations have become high-risk zones where Lebanese civilians face gunfire if they approach, adding them to the already five occupied sites.  

Meanwhile, the Israeli army continues to carry out ground incursions, airstrikes, assassinations, and reconnaissance operations deep into Lebanese territory, reaching as far as the Bekaa region. 

Despite this, Israel still invokes ceasefire monitoring mechanisms through the oversight committee whenever it claims to detect suspicious movement in South Lebanon.