IDF tanks patrol Lebanon border (Archive)
Photo: AFP
Lebanese villagers recorded driving away Hezbollah men
Footage taken by IDF shows Hezbollah members attempting to take over houses in southern Lebanese village, locals fighting back, kicking out intruders
The IDF published on Tuesday a video depicting an altercation that took place this week in the southern Lebanese village of Marwakhin between local residents and Hezbollah operatives.
Taken by a unit of the IDF's Field Intelligence Corps, the video shows a group of Hezbollah members arriving at the village and attempting, according to the army's estimates, to take over residents' houses and store weapons and rockets inside.
However, the village resident did not remain quiet, and tried to forcefully resist the attempt. At some point the Hezbollah men fired their guns in the air, and the locals did the same in response.
After hours of clashes Lebanese Army forces arrived at the village in a bid to prevent a violent clash from erupting. There were apparently no injuries in the altercation.
Two days later the members of the Shiite organization finally left the mostly Sunni village under Lebanese Army protection.
IDF sources said that the incident illustrated Hezbollah's efforts to set up strongholds inside villages in southern Lebanon so that their residents could serve as human shields in case of an armed conflict with Israel. This is done in complete violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which brought an end to the Second Lebanon War.
However, the residents' behavior shows they are not interested in Hezbollah's presence in their village, and that they are even willing to use force to prevent it.
The Northern Command is closely watching the developments on Israel's northern border since the war's conclusion. IDF sources said that the explosion of an ammunition cache in the area a month and-a-half ago proved that Hezbollah continues o prepare for a possible confrontation with Israel.
