Lebanon’s southern border: Between containment and confrontation

Report by Lara El Hachem, English adaptation by Mariella Succar

When you reach Lebanon’s southern border, the readiness of the Israeli army is unmistakable.

Near Israel’s Bayad Blida outpost, Merkava tanks monitor any movement on the Lebanese side, maneuvering around the site whenever the security situation demands. 

Israeli army patrols also cross the technical fence when deemed necessary for security reasons.

According to Lebanese security assessments, the recent incursion occurred along a dirt road leading from a border gate in Blida’s outskirts, far from Lebanese army positions in the area. 

The Lebanese army has begun engineering operations — digging and fortifying positions to establish a fixed post aimed at reinforcing border control and countering any Israeli claims of unusual activity.

This is the picture along the Blue Line. Inside the town, however, shattered glass in the Blida municipality building bears witness to the killing of Ibrahim Salameh in the room where he was lying on the floor. Israel claimed the building was being used as Hezbollah infrastructure.

Israeli violations begin in the border villages and extend deep into southern towns. In Kfar Roummane, four young men were killed inside a car in an Israeli airstrike on Saturday night. 

Israel claimed they were members of Hezbollah’s Radwan Force, including a logistics commander.

Hezbollah mourned them, along with a delivery driver killed days earlier.

But local and security sources doubt the men were full-time Hezbollah members, though they may have been affiliated with the group’s mobilization network. One reason is that military activity in the area has quieted, and another is that one of the victims was an expatriate — while, as sources note, full-time Hezbollah members typically do not work in delivery services.

For Israel’s defense minister, however, Hezbollah is “playing with fire,” while Lebanon’s president ‘’hesitates.’’

It is a conflict with no clear end in sight — one that has undoubtedly exhausted the people of the south.