Lebanese army fires tear gas at Israeli forces in southern border clash

Shafaq News/ The Lebanese army stated on Saturday that it fired tear gas at Israeli troops, accusing them of "violating" the Blue Line in southern Lebanon and launching smoke bombs.

The Lebanese army's statement detailed the incident, saying, "Between 11:00 and 12:00 local time, Israeli enemy elements violated the withdrawal line and fired smoke bombs towards a Lebanese army patrol while accompanying a bulldozer that was removing an earthen berm erected by the Israeli enemy north of the withdrawal line (blue) in the Bastra region - the south."

In response to the "attack," the statement noted that Lebanese forces fired tear gas, leading "the Israeli troops to withdraw to the occupied Palestinian territories."

In contrast, the Israeli side stated that "a short while ago, soldiers spotted an engineering vehicle's shovel crossing the Blue Line from Lebanon into Israeli territory in the area of Mount Dov."

"In response, soldiers used riot dispersal means."

It said the vehicle "returned to Lebanese territory".

No casualties were reported in the incident.

UN peacekeepers patrol the area, but tensions along the line are high and periodically escalate into clashes.

Tensions along the "Blue Line" border between the Israeli army and Hezbollah have been escalating over the past year, posing a significant threat to the stability established through United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701.

The heightened tensions have been characterized by the Israeli incursion into the Lebanese territory, crossing the demarcation line, and increasing mutual threats, bringing the two parties closer to a potential clash or war reminiscent of the 2006 conflict.