While the Israel Defense Force is increasing the pace of work on the construction of the fortified wall along the border with Lebanon, Hezbollah is reacting and building observation towers in front of the borderline. In the last few days just a few yards away from the Israeli village of Shtula in Western Galilee, Hezbollah has erected an observation tower and a manned outpost. The IDF began construction in the area of Shtula just about a month ago along the Lebanese border.
No less than 20 towers and guard posts have been put up in the past year in tandem with the progress of the Israeli wall project to fortify the 140-kilometer border line between Rosh Hanikra and Mount Dov. The way it has been working is Wherever the IDF builds a wall, Hezbollah builds a tower. These towers are being built in contradiction to UN Resolution 1701 at the end of the Second Lebanon War, which stated that the terrorist organization was prohibited from operating anywhere near the area of the border.
Video of Hezbollah setting up surveillance tower next to Israeli community on #Lebanon border, as IDF fortifies defenses with new barrier. Tower will make an easy target one of these days https://t.co/757Yu0oA0C
— Israel Radar (@IsraelRadar_com) January 23, 2023
The noise of the hammers and the shouts exchanged by the four Hezbollah men just yards away from the border could be heard clearly throughout the Israeli village on Sunday. They worked on laying the roof on the top of the tower at a height of about 18 meters and stopped every few minutes for a coffee break. A few meters from them, on the Israeli side, heavy trucks unloaded more and more concrete pillars, about eight meters high, that will cover their line of sight and replace the old rusty fence currently in place.
"A few days ago we saw a large truck placing a terrace on top of the building, and workers connecting and using it as a position for observations," said Uri Eliyahu, a resident of Shtula. He told Israeli reporters that the Hezbollah observation posts project that has arrived at the entrance to his town is not threatening. "It doesn't worry me, because I know they are deterred by Israel," Eliyahu said, "they are building the towers as an unfortunate answer to the strong walls that Israel puts up in front of them."
Hezbollah builds 20 new observation posts along Israel-Lebanon border https://t.co/NX9HfajKod
— drdivine (@drdivine) January 23, 2023
The Hezbollah observation tower was also built a few meters away from the "Painted Walls" site, an artistic project of graffiti paintings that are emblazoned on the dividing wall between the border and the houses of the Israeli “Yishuv”. In the past couple of years, the site has become a pilgrimage center for tourists and travelers. "Suddenly I noticed over the weekend that they built a tower here across the border," says Esther Piahota-Maman, owner of "Cafe Esther" next to the painted wall. "I'm not afraid of Hezbollah, we're used to seeing them. The visitors here take pictures of them, and they have become a part of the attraction."
The IDF closely monitors Hezbollah's activity along the border. The residents of the fence towns were assured that the towers would be demolished in any upcoming conflict. "They explained to us that these are the last days that Hezbollah can harass us because the wall really irritates them," said one of the residents who were present at the meeting with IDF officials.
Border tensions between Lebanese Army, Israel escalatehttps://t.co/yqj8HjoxZO
— The Cradle (@TheCradleMedia) January 22, 2023
The walls are replacing metal fencing that has been breached on many occasions, including by non-militant Lebanese looking to claim asylum in the Jewish State and others in South Lebanon who are trying to escape Hezbollah's grip. The fences have also been used to launch attacks against Israelis while allowing for the militants to hide. The walls eliminate that line-of-site and prevent operatives in Lebanon from being able to have a clear line of sight to Israeli villages and towns.
