Hezbollah stops manning last outpost in Israeli territory

Hezbollah operatives stopped regularly manning a tent outpost in Israeli territory, after maintaining the position non-stop for the past months, the Israeli Walla! News reported.

The Shiite terrorist organization set up the outpost about a few dozen feet across the Lebanese-Israeli border line, and efforts until now have only managed to get one tent removed, despite diplomatic efforts through the UN and allies.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) determined it was an action that goes against previous agreements and conveyed messages to the Lebanese government through UNIFIL peacekeeping forces, who in July had met with Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and his foreign minister.

Walla! reported some of the reasons raised in Israel for the tent debacle being resolved. Mostly actions aimed at deterrence, such as a reinforcement of IDF troops along the border line and threats from the Israeli security apparatus, including those of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

Major General Uri Gordin, head of the IDF Northern Command, had recommended methods of action against Hezbollah that had included actual combat, and the border had seen several scenes of clashes, but his recommendation was not accepted for the most part, which led to the diplomatic and political efforts.

Continuing such efforts, the head of the IDF's foreign relations division, Brigadier General Efi Defrin, will fly to the U.S. next week, reportedly in order to speak with his American counterparts about the renewal of UNIFIL’s mandate in Lebanon.

According to Walla! News, Defrin is expected to express Israel’s displeasure at UNIFIL forces weak response to the violation of Israeli sovereignty, but that the security establishment still saw it was important to renew the mandate as a mediating and balancing factor in southern Lebanon.