A lebanese southern: "Israel’s fear of southerners was driving it to build a wall."

Israeli army will begin building a one-kilometer security wall along the border of its northernmost village with Lebanon to prevent potential clashes in the area, media reports said early this week.

"The area in question has been a source of friction in the past. The IDF, UNIFIL [United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon] and LAF [Lebanese Armed Forces] are assessing available options in order to reduce this friction in the future," an Israeli army spokesman was quoted by Xinhua news agency as saying.

The 5-meter-high, 1-kilometer-long, wall would be equipped with surveillance and alarm systems and would separate the Israeli village of Kubbuts al-Matala and Lebanon’s Kfar Kila.

Speaking to Yediot Aharonot, a senior officer in the Israeli army’s Northern Command said: “The situation [in this area] is very sensitive and has a potential to easily inflame the northern border.” Work on the barrier will begin in a few weeks time, the agency added.

U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which was introduced to maintain the cessation of hostilities following to end the July-August 2006 Israeli war on Lebanon, established a buffer zone around the Blue Line border where only UNIFIL and Lebanese Army troops are permitted.

From his side, a Lebanese Army spokesperson said the Lebanese military had learned of the news of the barrier, which, if true, would be the first of its kind on the border with Lebanon.
The source said the Lebanese Army had no direct means of validating the reports and said there were no visible signs of activity to suggest building of the wall had started.

Commenting on the matter, UNIFIL spokesperson Neeraj Singh said the international peacekeepers have been engaged with both Lebanon and "Israel" to “further improve security arrangements in the Kfar Kila area.”

On Monday, Defense Minister of the Israeli entity, Ehud Barak told the Knesset that Israel should be prepared for new challenges on its northern and southern borders, Israel’ army reported on its website. 

A lebanese southern, Uday Sheet, who was peddling coffee to passers-by Tuesday, said to a local newspaper that "Israel’s fear of southerners was driving it to build a wall."