The United Nation peace keeping forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) confirmed on Friday that Israeli engineers are working north of the Blue Line in Ghajar area, fuelling suspicion that the Israelis plan to annex the divided village, reported the Daily Star newspaper.
Ghajar lies at the foot of the Shabaa Farms, an area that witnessed bloody confrontations between Israel and Hizbollah fighters.
A UNIFIL officer, who requested anonymity, told the paper that “something is in the air” regarding the sudden spate of construction activity along an old security fence erected by the Israelis during the occupation of the south.
The fence runs 500 meters north of the Blue Line on the Lebanese side of Ghajar.
The Blue Line splits the Alawi village of Ghajar, leaving two-thirds inside Lebanon, and the rest in Israeli-occupied Syria, said the paper.
“Lebanese” Ghajar is isolated from Lebanon by the old security fence and minefields.
Construction was first observed by UNIFIL peacekeepers on Thursday, prompting speculation that the Israelis may have resurrected a plan to incorporate the village, including the Lebanese side, within the new security fence which is under construction to the east of the village, the paper added.
The new fence presently stops at the first buildings in the village, leaving the Israelis with a choice of either continuing along the Blue Line and cutting the village in two, or running the fence around the northern end of Ghajar, a move which would violate the Blue Line.
“The pace of construction in the past two days tells me that the Israelis have made a firm decision on which line (Blue Line or north of Ghajar) they’re going to take,” the UNIFIL officer said.
UNIFIL is “closely monitoring” developments, said the paper.
A senior security source said that the Israelis appeared to be “beefing up” the old fence north of Ghajar.
The source added that the Israelis had encouraged the residents in Ghajar to reinforce the fence.
“The residents originally agreed, then changed their minds. It looks like the Israelis will do it instead,” the source said.
The source added that the move would be a violation of the Blue Line.
“They have major problems in the area and they don’t care about small violations,” the source said.
There has been no comment from the Israeli Army on the construction work in Ghajar, said the paper -- Albawaba.com
