Balloons sent by Israel demand Lebanese “evacuate immediately”
Balloons sent on June 26th — supposedly from Israel to southern Lebanon — warned the local people to abandon their homes as the land allegedly “belongs to Jews,” The New Arab and agencies reported.
The balloons, likely sent by Israeli extremists, landed in various villages in southern Lebanon, showing maps of the region and its distribution of religious sects. Many ultra-Orthodox and right-wing Israelis believe the borders of Israel should swallow up the Palestinian territory and stretch into Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon and other Arab countries.
“This is Israel’s land that is owned by the Jews,” the attached messages read in both Hebrew and Arabic. “You are required to evacuate immediately.”
Some extremists have even called for an invasion and the establishment of Jewish settlements in the territory. Earlier this month, right-wing group South Lebanon Settlement Movement — established in April amidst Israel’s cross-border conflict with Hezbollah — held a conference about the creation of such settlements in Lebanon.
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Some Israeli officials, including Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, have also called for the occupation of southern Lebanon and the creation of a buffer zone there.
Tens of thousands of Israelis have left their homes in northern Israel due to clashes with Hezbollah, meanwhile Israel has emptied villages in southern Lebanon with repeated airstrikes and the use of white phosphorus.
Even as Israel participates in mediated discussions with Hamas representatives for a ceasefire plan in Gaza, the country has said it is “ready” to declare full-fledged war on Hezbollah. The United States has tried to tamper these aggressions until a conclusion is reached with Hamas.
The combination of the two conflicts raises concerns for war in the Middle East, as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned against “full-scale regional conflict.”
The New Arab and agencies
