Mohammed Zaatari – The Daily Star Lebanon September 20, 2006
Israeli bulldozers started to level the soil and cut down olive trees in Yarin in the Tyre region on Monday, spoiling several cultivated fields and preventing farmers from inspecting their lands. "Israeli bulldozers have spoiled my land, cutting down the fruit trees I've planted," said farmer Shaker Afleh on Tuesday, as he and his daughter watched the bulldozers on his land from a kilometer away.
Israel's earth-movers have cut down several trees belonging to more than 10 members of the Abu Dellah family.
"Bulldozers have been leveling the soil for two days, trying to expand the Blue Line at the expense of our land and livelihoods," Abdallah Abu Dellah said on Tuesday.
"The international force has done nothing but register Israel's daily violations of Lebanon's territory," he said.
Shepherds refrained from escorting their herds to the fields for fear of being shot by the Israeli soldiers, one resident told The Daily Star.
"Israeli bulldozers are trying to level the greatest number of trees in order to monitor the border easily," the source said.
The area's residents said they feared that Israel would erect barbed-wire fences in their lands and set up a so-called "buffer zone."
Israeli troops set up a fence last week in a Marjayoun field, leveled soil and created a large trench despite the presence of UNIFIL forces.
Meanwhile, an Israeli bulldozer carried out digging work on Tuesday before laying water pipes in the Wazzani River in Marjayoun in a bid to funnel water to the town of Ghajar, the National News Agency (NNA) reported this week. Five Israeli tanks were seen in Tallat Mahames inside the eastern sector in the South, the NNA added.
Further Israeli violation of Lebanese airspace took place when Israeli reconnaissance jets flew over several Tyre-area villages on Tuesday at noon, the NNA further reported.
www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=1&article_id=75576
Last updated 04/10/2006
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