Protest in southern Lebanon: "Israel is trying to capture the key town"
Residents of Al-Mansouri, near Tyre, are protesting against the conditions of displacement and daily attacks: "There is an Israeli plan to capture the town."
Residents of the town of Al-Mansouri in the Tyre district held a demonstration this morning, Monday, near a Lebanese Army checkpoint in protest against "Israel's policy of displacement and destruction." They demanded that the authorities in Lebanon act urgently to ensure their return to their town and expressed concern that "there is an Israeli plan to capture the town, especially in light of the increased military activity there," according to the Qatari newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.
The residents claimed that after the ceasefire and Lebanon's signing of the framework agreement with Israel last June, several families returned to live there, despite the security risks and difficult living conditions, against the backdrop of the lack of basic services such as electricity and water and the damage caused to infrastructure. According to them:
"We prefer to stay on our land rather than live in a state of ongoing displacement."
In this context, the head of the Al-Mansouri council, Haidar Madihali, told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed:
"The IDF has largely controlled the town through fire since the warning was issued."
He added: "The council worked to evacuate the entire town, and it remains empty of residents, security forces, and the army to this day, despite the calls to return and the demand of the oversight committee to stop the attacks." Madihali stated that after the ceasefire agreement came into effect, more than 120 families returned to the town. He claimed that "numerous attacks occurred almost daily against workers, farmers, and residents, with the aim of intimidating them and causing them to leave."
Regarding the reasons for the Israeli focus on Al-Mansouri, a senior commander in the Lebanese Army told the newspaper that "Israel tried during the war more than 11 times to capture Al-Mansouri and did not succeed in doing so due to the fierce resistance from Hezbollah." He noted that the town is located at an altitude of about 100 meters above sea level and overlooks the axis that includes Wadi Hassan and Wadi al-Ayun, which extends to Wadi al-Hujeir and Wadi as-Saluki. He emphasized the importance of its strategic location, believing that Israel views it as a logistical axis for Hezbollah.
