Lebanese Army Forces “Israeli” Patrol to Retreat After Border Violation

By Staff, Agencies

The Lebanese Army said Sunday it had forced an “Israeli” patrol to retreat beyond the country’s border with the “Israeli”-occupied Palestinian territories.

A Lebanese Army statement said an “Israeli” patrol violated the so-called Blue Line at the village of Aita al-Shaab in southern Lebanon.

“An ‘Israeli’ enemy patrol breached the ‘Blue Line’ in Aita al-Shaab [South Lebanon], to a distance of approximately one meter,” the statement read.

The “Blue Line” is the line set by the United Nations for the withdrawal of the “Israeli” Occupation Forces [IOF] from Lebanon in 2000.

The Lebanese army said a military unit intervened and forced the “Israeli” patrol to retreat beyond the “Blue Line”.

According to the statement, a unit for UN peacekeepers UNIFIL arrived at the scene to verify the “Israeli” breach.

“A Lebanese Army patrol came and forced the enemy patrol to retreat beyond the ‘Blue Line’ towards Occupied Palestinian Territories. A patrol from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon [UNIFIL] also attended to check on the breach,” the statement added.

Relatedly, Al-Manar TV report, Ali Shoaib, also reported that tensions flared after “a Lebanese Army officer pushed an ‘Israeli’ soldier and removed an iron stake that soldier was placing in violation of the ‘Blue Line’.”

The IOF occasionally violates Lebanese airspace and borders.