Escalating Tensions on Lebanese-Israeli Border: Tear Gas and Smoke Bombs Fly as Clashes Intensify
Tensions rise as Lebanese army fires tear gas at Israeli forces in the Bastra area, escalating ongoing volatility in the region and raising concerns of further escalation and conflict.
In a recent escalation of tensions along the Lebanese-Israeli border, the Lebanese army has reported that it fired tear gas at Israeli forces in response to attacks with smoke bombs by the Israelis. The incident took place in the Bastra area of southern Lebanon. According to the Lebanese army, elements of the Israeli enemy violated the withdrawal line and fired smoke bombs at a Lebanese army patrol that was accompanying a bulldozer. The bulldozer was removing an earthen berm erected by the Israeli enemy north of the withdrawal line, known as the Blue Line, which marks the line to which Israeli forces withdrew when they left south Lebanon in 2000.
A statement from the Lebanese army stated that their patrol responded to the attack by firing tear bombs, forcing the Israeli forces to withdraw to the occupied Palestinian territories. However, the Israeli military has disputed this version of events, claiming that it was Lebanon that initiated the violence. The Israeli military stated that IDF soldiers had spotted an engineering vehicle's shovel crossing the Blue Line from Lebanon into Israeli territory. In response, Israeli soldiers used riot dispersal means. The vehicle subsequently returned to Lebanese territory, according to the Israeli military.
The tension between Lebanon and Israel has been increasing throughout the summer, with sporadic rocket firings from Lebanon towards Israel during Israeli-Palestinian flare-ups. Additionally, confrontations between the heavily armed Lebanese group Hezbollah or its supporters and Israeli forces have been observed. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), the peacekeeping force in the area, confirmed that tension was present on Saturday.
UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti stated that they are working to decrease the tensions and prevent any misunderstandings, being on the ground and monitoring the situation to bring calm back to the area. The incident highlights the ongoing volatility in the region, with both Lebanon and Israel on high alert. The exchange of fire between the two forces raises concerns about a further escalation and the potential for a full-blown conflict. The international community is closely monitoring this situation in hopes of fostering a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflicts in the region.