Bint Jbeil Municipalities Union raises the alarm: The South is being drained and the aggression threatens residents’ return

The Union of Municipalities of the Bint Jbeil District condemned, in a statement, the continued Israeli attacks on villages and towns in southern Lebanon, stressing that the burning, blowing up, and destruction of homes and property in the area, particularly in the town of Hadatha, constitute a flagrant violation of international laws and conventions and of the most basic humanitarian standards.

The union said that statements by the Israeli defense minister about the destruction of between 15,000 and 20,000 homes in 24 southern villages and towns, in addition to his claim that around 90 percent of their buildings had been destroyed, along with the announcement of the continued occupation of areas of Lebanese land, amount to an admission of a systematic policy targeting civilians and their property and constitute a direct assault on Lebanese sovereignty.

The union recalled that it had previously issued a series of statements appealing to the Lebanese state and the relevant official bodies to act urgently to put an end to the ongoing attacks, but said those appeals had not received the required response, while the Israeli army continues to burn homes, destroy residential neighborhoods, and impose facts on the ground that make it even harder for residents to return to their villages.

It warned that continued disregard for this reality would have serious national, security, and social repercussions, considering the targeting of homes, infrastructure, and the displacement of residents to be a direct blow to the stability of the South and Lebanon’s sovereignty, and an obstacle to any efforts to restore normal life to the region.

The union pointed out that “at a time when the Lebanese authorities are moving toward engaging in negotiation tracks and contacts with the Israeli side, the continuation of these contacts amid escalating burning, demolition, and destruction operations, and without achieving any practical results to stop these violations, is cause for astonishment, especially given Lebanon’s commitment to the obligations incumbent upon it.”

It called on the Lebanese authorities to adopt a firm national stance and not suffice with traditional diplomatic positions, urging the use of all available political, legal, and diplomatic means to press for an end to the Israeli attacks, including reassessing the course of existing contacts if the violations continue, and taking urgent action before the United Nations, the Security Council, and all relevant international bodies to assume their responsibilities and compel Israel to halt its attacks and withdraw from occupied Lebanese territory.

The union stressed that “protecting citizens, land, and property is, first and foremost, the responsibility of the Lebanese state,” holding the president, the prime minister, and the government responsible for exerting maximum efforts and taking the necessary measures to defend Lebanese sovereignty and stop what it described as the ongoing aggression targeting people, land, and stone in the South.

It also stressed that the people of the villages of the Bint Jbeil District Municipalities Union “will not abandon their land مهما بلغت التضحيات,” affirming their commitment to their right to return to their villages and rebuild them, and that the South will remain a symbol of steadfastness and resilience in the face of occupation and attacks.