Israeli Military Incursion in Southern Lebanon and Interrogation of Syrian Workers and Local Residents
An Israeli military force, consisting of about 20 soldiers, infiltrated on the morning of Wednesday, July 23, from the vicinity of the border town of Al-Abbasiyah towards the area of Rihana Bari in the Marj region, according to the Lebanese National News Agency.
The source reported that the military force searched a number of houses, whether inhabited by residents or abandoned, and interrogated a group of Lebanese citizens and Syrian workers. After the operation, the force left the area with two Syrian workers, before later leaving them near the border.
This incursion comes within the context of the ongoing tension between Israel and Hezbollah, despite the ceasefire agreement that came into effect in November 2024 after clashes that lasted for over a year, escalating into open war starting from September of the same year. Despite the agreement, Israel continues to carry out airstrikes in various Lebanese areas, especially in the south, claiming to target elements or sites affiliated with Hezbollah.
Israel has repeatedly stated that it "will not allow the rebuilding of the military capabilities of the party" after the significant losses suffered by its leadership and military infrastructure during the war, as reported by Agence France-Presse. It also threatened to continue its operations unless the Lebanese authorities disarm the party, which Tel Aviv accuses of being subordinate to Iran.
The ceasefire agreement, mediated by the United States, stipulated the withdrawal of Hezbollah from areas south of the Litani River (about 30 kilometers from the Israeli border) and the dismantling of its military structure there, in exchange for strengthening the deployment of the Lebanese army and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The agreement also required the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the areas they infiltrated during the war, yet Israel still occupies 5 strategic heights that Lebanon demands its withdrawal from.
