The helicopter lifted off from UN headquarters and swung over the rugged hills of south Lebanon. The pilot pointed out the 12th century Crusader Castle of Beaufort, the symbol of this strife-torn land. We alighted outside Khiam prison where Israeli forces jailed Lebanese who fought the 24-year occupation. Yellow Hizbullah flags fluttered from the walled compound.
At the Indian position near Ghajar village we paused beneath a canvas canopy to be briefed by the new commander of the UN force (UNIFIL), Major General Lalit Mohan Tewari of India. Ghajar, 200 metres to the south, is the current flashpoint in the struggle between Israel and Hizbullah. White blocks of flats shimmer in the heat haze beyond a wide swath of charred earth, fired to clear the plastic mines Israel left behind.
"Do you see those three vehicles?" General Tiwari pointed to cars parked on the verge near the northern gate to Ghajar. "Those belong to Hizbullah. At first the Hizbullah men set up tents. Later they took over a former Israeli position," he remarked. Israel fears Hizbullah will infiltrate Galilee through Ghajar.
There are 1,800 villagers in Ghajar. They hold both Syrian and Israeli citizenship. Since Israel occupied the Syrian Golan Heights in 1967, they have been ruled by the Jewish state. When the UN delineated the "Blue Line" border after Israel withdrew from south Lebanon, Ghajar was split into two sectors. The northern two-thirds was given to Lebanon, the southern third remained under Israeli rule. Israel threatened to divide the village with a fence but the UN persuaded Israel to preserve the status quo on condition that Lebanon did not assert sovereignty over south Ghajar.
But the status quo evolved. Lebanese civilians and journalists entered Ghajar through a hole in the old Israeli fence. Indian peace-keepers shifted to a new post north of Ghajar, opening a road giving Lebanese easy access. Hizbullah plainclothesmen patrolled north Ghajar and Israeli troops violated the "Blue Line" by entering the Lebanese sector. Israel declared the southern sector a "closed military area", off-limits to non-residents. Hizbullah and set up a permanent post at the northern gate where entry is barred to Lebanese.
UNIFIL is closely monitoring the situation. "The frequency of patrols has increased significantly", General Tewari told The Irish Times. "It's a classic UN situation. The sort of situation the UN can resolve through negotiations." He is optimistic the Ghajar issue will be solved. Other spluttering fuses have been put out over the last 15 months. For the present Ghajar is the point where Hizbullah exercises pressure on Israel. "Both sides want to keep up a certain level of tension," said Mr Timor Goksel, UNIFIL's veteran spokesman. But "Hizbullah has taken the initiative." Israel, uneasy when Hizbullah has the advantage, has appealed to Washington and the UN to intervene against their activities.
