Protest in southern Lebanon: 'Israel is trying to capture the key town'

Residents of al-Mansouri in southern Lebanon demonstrated this morning against 'Israel's policy of displacement and destruction' and demanded that their return to the town be ensured. They fear an Israeli plan to capture the town amid increased military activity. The head of the council, Haidar Madikhli, said that the IDF controls the town by fire and that more than 120 families have returned despite the risks. A senior Lebanese army commander claimed that Israel tried to capture the town more than 11 times.

Residents of the Shiite town of al-Mansouri in the Tyre district held a demonstration this morning (Monday) near a Lebanese army checkpoint, protesting 'Israel's policy of displacement and destruction.' They demanded that the authorities act urgently to ensure their return to the town and expressed concern that there is an Israeli plan to capture it, given the increased military activity there, according to the Qatari newspaper Al-Arabi 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 in the town despite the security risks and harsh living conditions, due to the lack of basic services such as electricity and water and damage to infrastructure. According to them, they prefer to stay on their land over living in a state of ongoing displacement. The head of the al-Mansouri council, Haidar Madikhli, told the Qatari newspaper that the IDF largely controls the town by fire since the warning was issued, and that the council worked to evacuate the entire town, which is still empty of residents and security forces. He added that more than 120 families have returned to the town, and that many attacks have struck workers, farmers, and residents almost daily, aiming to intimidate them and cause them to leave. A senior Lebanese army commander said that Israel tried more than 11 times during the war to capture al-Mansouri and failed due to the fierce resistance of Hezbollah. He emphasized the strategic importance of the town's location, which is about 100 meters above sea level and overlooks interconnected valleys, and believed that Israel sees it as a logistical axis for Hezbollah.