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Lebanon

Israel Offers to Cede Part of Disputed Shebaa Farms to Lebanon

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Israel has issued a statement indicating that it is willing to cede a portion of the disputed Shebaa Farms to Lebanon, a move apparently aimed at depriving Syria of an excuse to continue military attacks against Israel. The statement comes in response to earlier reports that Prime Minister Ehud Barak had told French President Jacques Chirac that he was considering withdrawing Israeli troops from the entire farms. The fertile region, located on the Syrian-Lebanese border, is a subject of dispute between Lebanon and Syria, with both countries claiming ownership.

Key Takeaways:

  • Israel has offered to cede a portion of the Shebaa Farms to Lebanon, a move aimed at preventing Syria from using the dispute as an excuse to encourage Hezbollah guerrillas to continue military attacks against Israel.
  • The statement from the Israeli Defense Ministry clarifies that only a small part of the farms, which is in Lebanese territory according to U.N. maps, is going to be evacuated.
  • Hezbollah has vowed to fight on until Shebaa farms are returned and Lebanese detainees in Israel are freed.
  • The Israeli troop withdrawal from the Shebaa Farms is seen as part of Israel's broader withdrawal from south Lebanon, which was ended on early Wednesday after 22 years of occupation.
  • Israeli troops have completed their withdrawal from Astra, one of the three outposts in the Har Dov area, in response to Prime Minister Ehud Barak's orders.
  • Hezbollah has shelled Israeli outposts in the area twice this week, prompting warnings from Barak that any attack against Israeli civilians and the army will meet with harsh retaliation.

Statistics:

  • 22 years: The length of time Israel occupied the border strip in south Lebanon before withdrawing on early Wednesday.
  • 1985: The year Israel set up a buffer zone in the border strip to protect its north.
  • Between 400-2,000 meters: The altitude range of the fertile Shebaa Farms.
  • 1967: The year Israel seized the Shebaa Farms from Syria in the Middle East War.

Sources:

  • XINHUA: "Israel ready to cede part of disputed Shebaa farms to Lebanon" (May 25).
  • COMTEX (http://www.comtexnews.com): News Provided by COMTEX.

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