Israel Continues Building Massive Wall Along Lebanese Border Despite COVID-19 Lockdown

Via AlMasdarNews.com,

The Hebrew-language Channel 12 reported that despite the coronavirus outbreak, work is continuing and ongoing these days to complete the cement barrier on the Israeli-Lebanese border to prevent any infiltration or attacks by Hezbollah.

Channel 12 reported that the Israeli move is related to building a cement wall with a fence, and it has advanced monitoring methods, as Israel has completed the construction of a section of the wall – 15 km long – along the border of Israel and Lebanon, which reaches about 140 km.

The channel noted on its website that the Secretary-General of the Lebanese Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, had previously threatened Israel to penetrate the borders and take over parts of the Upper Galilee region.

The Israeli Defense Ministry has been concentrating their efforts on the Lebanese border for over a year now, following an operation to destroy a number of tunnels stretching between the two countries.

Work on the security barrier began at the start of last year [in 2018], with the joint IDF-Defense Ministry Borders and Security Fence Directorate having been cleared and received funding to build 13 kilometers (8 miles) of concrete walling along the approximately 130-kilometer (80-mile) border in order to protect the 22 adjacent Israeli villages.

Eventually the plan is to construct a barrier along the entire border — a project that would cost NIS 1.7 billion ($470 million).

The concrete barrier is designed to serve two main functions: protect Israeli civilians and soldiers from sniper attacks, and prevent infiltration into Israel by Hezbollah operatives. — The Times of Israel

N12 – המכשול בגבול לבנון – תמונת מצב https://t.co/uza682Cjt3 pic.twitter.com/FzdFL5FOGu

— מוקד החדשות של ישראל (@mokednewsil) April 8, 2020

In turn, Lebanon has issued a letter to the United Nations about Israel’s repeated airspace violations over the last few months.

The Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab said in a statement released on the National News Agency (NNA) that Lebanon will not allow Israel to continue to violate their airspace.