From Al-Naqoura tunnel to Karish: Backs are covered and options are open

The distance that separates Al Mayadeen headquarters in Beirut and the capital of Palestine, Al-Quds, is 232 kilometers, whereas that of Al-Naqoura to the occupied Palestinian borders is about one kilometer. The distance between Al-Naqoura and Al-Quds is about 180 kilometers by land, while Al-Naqoura is situated about 10 kilometers from the gas fields.

In light of the remembrance of the July 2006 victory, Al Mayadeen Net embarked on a journey to the Al-Naqoura site, Lebanon's meeting point with Palestine in the far south of Lebanon. The team obtained a special permit from the Lebanese army and UNIFIL to cross the distance between the coastal city of Tyr and the Al-Bayyada in Al-Naqoura on a boat belonging to the company Lebanese Diving Center.

Astonishment in the underwater caves

"The caves were astonishing! All along our journey, we traveled by sea to the rocks in Al-Naqoura and felt an enduring sense of stillness," the director of the Center for International Diver Youssef El-Jendy said, adding, "these rocks represent an unparallel ecological phenomenon alongside the Lebanese coast which extends over a length of 246 km long. They were naturally formed by winds and waves over the span of many decades, including caves which over time led to the formation of grottoes inside the mountains adjacent to the coast, such as the Al-Anin Cave [Whine Cave]."

Al-Naqoura is known for its clean waters which makes it an attractive place for divers. The Lebanese Diving Club organizes daily tours nearby Al-Naqoura's coastal rocks and caves inhabited by diverse marine life and diver-friendly sea turtles. The divers of the team's boat entered the caves while raising the Lebanese flag as a sign of identity of the region, as well as the Al Mayadeen logo.

UNIFIL surveillance

Our boat anchored on the opposite side of the Al-Naqoura Caves, which are about 10 kilometers away from the gas fields. Suddenly, we heard the roar of a white UNIFIL helicopter heading toward us, the tour captain shouted "it's coming towards us!"

After a few moments, a UNIFIL helicopter flew past us so that the Blue Helmets could take a peek at the name of our boat. We observed a watchtower for the Lebanese army and a smaller one right next to it. We realized at that moment that we were being surveilled. The director of the diving center then said, "If our backs weren't protected, we would never have dived or swam here in the first place."

We are almost certain that during our tour, we did not know anything about the resistance drones flying over the Karish field at that time, but the fervor of the south and the high amount of confidence placed in the resistance's capabilities make such an event possible at any moment.

Aerial photo of the Al-Naqoura caves entrance

Miraz Nabhani, who frequently goes to the area with his co-workers to swim and dive, said to Al Mayadeen Net, “I feel Al-Quds is close to me. I am confident that we will set foot in its land one day, and I am confident that the enemy is a coward. When the resistance decides to cross these few meters, we will be in the occupied part of Palestinian Al-Naqoura.”

The fisherman, the farmer, the worker, and the housewife all carry on with their daily lives despite the critical financial situation, unlike the situation of settlers on the borders following the withdrawal of "Israel" from Lebanon in 2000.

Al-Naqoura caves
Al-Naqoura caves

“To Palestine” is a phrase that appears on a metallic sign at the farthest point in the town where the UNIFIL forces are located, and it captivated us all with a sense of nostalgia.

The Hejaz Railway

Many forgot about the "Arab Tourist Transport Line" which existed prior to the Palestinian Nakba in 1948. This line used to go through the cities of Jeddah, Kuwait, Baghdad, Amman, Damascus, Beirut, Al-Quds, Ramallah, Nablus, Akka, Haifa, Gaza, Cairo, and other cities, connecting them to Lebanon. The beautiful town that formed the meeting point between Lebanon and Palestine was Al-Naqoura in the far south of Lebanon.

A picture of the British occupation outpost between the French and British occupation-controlled zones, which became Lebanon and Palestine

"Lebanon will restore the tunnel"

There is a railway tunnel that extends hundreds of meters in Lebanese territory; its length is 695 meters, and the surrounding area is around 1,800 square meters.

The Israeli occupation has taken over a big part of the Ras Al-Bayada tunnel in the Ras Al-Naqoura region.

A while ago, we reported on the visit of the Lebanese Minister of Public Works and Transport Ali Hamiyeh to the site, where he predicted that Lebanon "will reclaim the last occupied inch of this tunnel."

Al-Naqoura train tunnel

The deadline will keep "Israel" up against the wall

Expert and analyst Dr. Alwan Amin El-Din, founder and director of the SITA Center, told Al Mayadeen Net that the deadline announced by the Secretary-General of Hezbollah “is an extension of previous stances announced by Hezbollah, and came at a time when work is underway to bring Lebanon to its knees by imposing an indirect economic blockade and US economic sanctions.

“In my opinion, it is a message to rethink, internally, as the party urged its allies to sign Decree 6433 and fix the maritime borders according to the rules of the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention, i.e. Line 29. Externally, they are 'turbid waters' on the other side in order to find serious solutions to this issue," explained Amin El-Din.

From Al-Naqoura tunnel to Karish: Backs are covered and options are open

He asserted that "Israel" only knows the language of violence. Energy extraction operations - in general - need a calm and stable environment, especially since companies specializing in this sector will spend huge amounts of money, as the rule states that every person on the offshore platform needs between 4 to 5 people on land to secure their services. Therefore, it is not ready to operate in a disputed area or under direct threat, not to mention that it will raise the cost of insurance, and some insurance companies may have to contract with them.”

"As for the issue of the drones, in my personal opinion, the resistance decided to send them to be destroyed, as part of what is known as psychological warfare, because by doing so it would make 'Israel' announce the news... as nothing would prevent the drones to be - next time - loaded with explosives targeting their platforms," he added.

"On the Lebanese side, there is no doubt that these drones are strong leverage that can be benefited from... But the political dispute between the Lebanese parties will prevent this card from being used in any future negotiations, and some Lebanese parties will even interpret it in a negative way.”

Inner confusion is an opportunity for the enemy

The Lebanese expert believes that "this internal confusion will be an opportunity for 'Israel' to benefit from the passing of time. Hence, the importance of the two-month deadline that will keep 'Israel' up against the wall" as it is nearing the production phase.

Through historical precedents, it can be said that the "beyond Karish" equation will put "Israel" in front of a very delicate situation so it may cause it to seriously consider making some concessions.

However, the director of the SITA Center reveals that Lebanon, in its current situation, is unable to explore and extract due to the lack of a unified perspective regarding this file. Thus, it may also seem difficult to bring in Chinese or Russian companies to invest, and with the Lebanese officials' large sums of money deposited in banks abroad and the fear of imposing financial sanctions on them, it seems very unlikely to conclude contracts with companies that the US administration does not approve of.

All options are open

According to Amin El-Din, "the problem is that Lebanon started with a fatal mistake at the first demarcation, by considering Line 1 as its maritime border - albeit temporarily - after this task was entrusted to the Ministry of Works instead of the Lebanese Army. Later on, Line 23 appeared to be the new line, before the last demarcation came and indicated that line 29 was the final one.

In addition, the failure to sign Decree 6433 means that Lebanon's letter to the UN remains incomplete and lacks unified governmental support, and this matter is a weak point to be added to other ones.

Amin El-Din concludes that “In war, all options are available. At the international level, not targeting civilian centers is what matters; targeting energy extraction platforms in disputed areas is legitimate for several factors, most notably because the conflict over this region has not yet been resolved,” not to mention the prior knowledge of the said and acceptance of the investing companies [to start the work].

As for the platforms located outside those areas, they will be a threat or compensation for civilian targets that could be destroyed by "Israel" (such as the airport, ports, bridges, or important and vital infrastructure) and for the consequences of the attacks (such as the spot caused by an Israeli raid in the July 2006 aggression).