Tension has been mounting in the village of Ghajar, located on the Israel-Lebanon border, following the IDF's declaration that the village was a closed military zone and Sunday's visit of a Hizbullah delegation proclaiming Lebanese sovereignty. While Israel considers alternatives to prevent Ghajar from becoming a flashpoint of confrontation with the Hizbullah, villagers remain caught in the middle of a three-way struggle.

At the time of Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon in May 2000, United Nations cartographers determined that the "Blue Line," the international border between Israel and Lebanon, ran through the village of Ghajar. The northern two-thirds of Ghajar were determined to be Lebanese, while the southern third was defined as Israeli territory. The 2,000 residents of Ghajar demanded that their village remain undivided. At their insistence, no fences were constructed to mark where the "Blue Line" ran through Ghajar, basically turning the village into an open border between the countries.

Tension mounted in Ghajar two weeks ago when UNIFIL vacated a position just north of the village. The United Nations cited budgetary constraints for the repositioning of its force. Israel immediately expressed its reservations over the decision, warning that the Hizbullah would attempt to exploit the situation to upset the status quo in the area.

The IDF is concerned that the Hizbullah will attempt to establish a permanent presence in the Lebanese half of the village, from where it would be possible to infiltrate into the southern end or into Israel itself. After UNIFIL abandoned its post, Hizbullah planted party flags and established a roadblock at the village's northern entrance and began patrols in the region. Reuters correspondents said Hizbullah members at the roadblock prevented them from entering Ghajar from the north. The Lebanon Daily Star suggested that Hizbullah patrols "probably have more to do with the organization's persistent psychological warfare against the Israeli Army rather than a determined effort to infiltrate Israeli-controlled territory via the village."

Last week, the IDF declared Ghajar a closed military zone, fearing that Israelis who visit the area could become targets of kidnapping attempts by the Hizbullah. The directive banned everyone from the village except for soldiers and residents with Israeli citizenship.

Increased security measures imposed by the IDF include inspections of the identity cards of all those entering and leaving via the Israeli side, as well as searches of vehicles and belongings. By IDF order, humanitarian personnel, including medical teams, are allowed to enter the southern half of the village. But Ghajar resident Isa Saliman, a farmer and owner of a taxi company, told Ha'aretz: "Five days ago they declared this a closed military area and now they won't let people in. Not the social workers, not the health maintenance organization personnel, they even made problems for the doctor. Food deliveries? Forget about it."

On Sunday, Hizbullah's southern commander, Sheikh Nabil Kaouk, led some 200 Lebanese into the northern end of the village in defiance of the Israeli order. "My visit is a message to Israel that the resistance will not hesitate to defend any inch of Lebanese territory no matter how much Israeli threats increase," Kaouk said.

Kaouk's speech followed a visit to Ghajar on Friday by Hizbullah representatives and Lebanese parliament member Hassan Hashem. Hashem called on the residents of Ghajar "not to succumb to Israeli pressure, unite themselves to liberate their land and leave the prison in which they were placed by the enemy." Village residents told the delegation that they were opposed to having the northern part of Ghajar become a hotbed of Lebanese activities.

Yesterday Ghajar villagers held a rare protest demonstration against both Israel and Lebanon. While protesting the IDF's decision to declare Ghajar a closed military zone, villagers also demonstrated against the Hizbullah attempts to gain a foothold in the village. According to the Jerusalem Post, villagers relayed a message to the Hizbullah during the demonstration, asking to be left in peace and quiet. "We are Syrians, and we will never be under Lebanese sovereignty," declared Ballal Hatib, assistant to the head of the Ghajar local council. "This village, if it is returned, will be returned to Syria and not to Lebanon," he said.

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