The municipalities of Al-Mari and Al-Majidiya called for the need to reopen the road that was closed by the Israeli army, which connects the two towns to their agricultural lands, stressing its utmost importance to the residents of the region.
The municipality stressed that agriculture is the mainstay of livelihood for most residents, and that these lands are their source of livelihood and their close relationship with their land.
The municipality expressed its surprise at the continued closure of the road “in light of the truce,” considering that this measure represents a major economic burden on the people and exposes their livelihoods to direct danger.
She called on all concerned parties to assume their responsibilities and work to find a solution that would ensure the reopening of the road and ensure farmers’ access to their lands.
The municipality concluded by emphasizing that the town’s residents make a living from their lands and cling to them, and that supporting their steadfastness is a basic duty and not increasing their suffering.
The towns of Mari and Majidiyeh are located in the eastern part of southern Lebanon. It is an agricultural area that relies heavily on the cultivation of olives, tobacco, grains, and fruit trees, in addition to livestock breeding. The surrounding agricultural lands represent the main source of income for dozens of families, especially in light of the severe economic crisis that the country has been suffering from for years.
Since the beginning of the recent clashes on the border, the region has witnessed Israeli incursions and field measures that included closing secondary and agricultural roads, and placing dirt barriers and observation points, which reduced the ability of farmers to access their lands, even after the ceasefire was announced.
The importance of the road in question is increasing, as it connects the town center with large areas of cultivated land adjacent to the border line, which makes its closure not limited to the security aspect, but rather directly affects agricultural production and the harvest and cultivation seasons.
This move by the municipality comes within the framework of repeated local demands to enable residents to return to their lands and secure their safe access to them, amid fears of worsening living conditions if agricultural roads continue to be closed, in a phase that is supposed to move towards establishing calm and gradually restoring normal life to the border villages.
