Lebanon prepared for any potential escalation, MP says after Israeli violations

A Lebanese lawmaker says the country's resistance is ready to confront Israel as the occupying forces have started digging operations and installing barbed wire in lands owned by Lebanese people in the south of the country. 

Ali Fayyad, a member of Loyalty to the Resistance bloc in the Lebanese parliament, made the remarks in reaction to Israeli attacks against people protesting Israel’s digging operation in Lebanese lands near the village of Kfar Chouba.

Lebanon’s resistance is closely monitoring developments near Israeli-occupied lands, he said, adding that it "is ready for any potential escalation." 

He said the resistance will not allow the enemy to persist in its aggression and the regime will have to pay the costs if it continues to cross Lebanon’s red lines.

"Nobody should think that the resistance can tolerate any harm to our sovereignty or aggression against our people and regions," Fayyad told Al-Manar TV channel in an interview on Friday.

The village has been a scene of protests over the past week after the regime set up barbed wires and began digging a tunnel into the area.

On Friday, Israeli soldiers fired tear gas to disperse people protesting the digging operation on the edge of Kfar Chouba hills, leaving some civilians and Lebanese troops suffering breathing problems.

Lebanese forces were on alert in the area and reinforcements were brought in.

In a statement, the Israeli military claimed protesters tried to damage a border barrier and threw stones at Israeli troops in the area. The military said forces responded with “riot dispersal means,” which typically means tear gas or stun grenades.

Kfar Chouba hills and the nearby Chebaa Farms are Lebanese territories occupied by the regime in 1967.

On Wednesday, a Lebanese villager tried to stop an Israeli bulldozer from digging a trench along the border. Once the villager's legs were covered with sand as the bulldozer moved ahead, UN peacekeepers jumped in and convinced the driver to move back. Videos of the elderly man with his legs stuck in the sand dune went viral on social media.

Andrea Tenenti, a spokesman for the UN peacekeeping force known as UNIFIL, said on Friday peacekeepers are on the ground working to decrease tension in the area.

“We have urged the parties to utilize our coordination mechanisms effectively to prevent misunderstandings, violations, and contribute to the preservation of stability in the area,” Tenenti said. He added that UNIFIL leadership is in contact with the parties, seeking a solution.

“We call upon both sides to exercise restraint and avoid actions along the blue line that may escalate tensions,” Tenenti told AP.

The regime ended an 18-year occupation of southern Lebanon when its troops withdrew from the area in May 2000.

The Lebanon-Israel border has been relatively calm following the Israeli 33-day war on Lebanon in 2006.

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