Israel has decided not to build a wall through an occupied Syrian village split between Israel and Lebanon, but instead will beef up security there, an Israeli official said Wednesday.
According to Haaretz, cabinet ministers rejected the idea, saying building a wall through the center of Ghajar would further harm Israel's already tense relations with Syria and Lebanon and violate an agreement with the United Nations. "We're not going to divide the village in half with a wall and we will improve the security situation there and the services there," Eiland said.
The lack of a barrier has, according to Israeli sources, created a "security weakness" in the area, as Hizbullah has attempted on several occasions to launch attacks against Israeli forces by entering Ghajar.
On Tuesday, citizens of Ghajar, on the edge of occupied Syrian Golan Heights, condemned the Israeli cabinet’s intention to divide the village, move the residents of the northern part and demolish their houses.
“Citizens of Ghajar stress once again that they will not abandon their Syrian Arab land and identity,” Ghajar citizens said in a statement.
Earlier, residents of Ghajar marched through the streets, protesting the Israeli government plan. They also sent a message to the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, rejecting naming them as settlers and stressing their Syrian identity.
