Lebanese Minister Of Public Works And Transport Ali Hamieh From Hizbullah: The Tunnel On The Border In Naqoura Is Occupied By Israel; We Want It Back

On July 15, 2022, Al-Manar TV (Hizbullah-Lebanon) aired a report about a railroad tunnel in the border between Israel and Lebanon that has been "occupied" by Israel since 1948. Lebanon's Minister of Public Works and Transport Ali Hamieh, who is from Hizbulllah, said that Lebanon has the "right" to the tunnel, and that Lebanon must regain "every last inch" of its land and sea. The tunnel complex in the area is part of a WWII-era British project to connect the coastal train from Haifa to Beirut and from there to Tripoli. Currently, the tunnels serve as a tourist attraction, but Israel blocked half of the northern tunnel, where the border crosses.

Al-Manar TV Reporter: "It was decided to regain every last inch from the railway tunnel southward. International tenders will be issued for the establishment of tourist facilities in Naqoura, in keeping with a specifications sheet that will be written quickly. This is what the Minister of Public Works in the caretaker government, Ali Hamieh, said, during his inspection tour in south Lebanon. He declared this in front of the entrance to the Ras Al-Bayadha tunnel in Naqoura. He emphasized that we must regain every last inch of our land and sea."

Ali Hamieh: "I have discovered that among the facilities of the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation, there is a tunnel that is occupied by the Israeli enemy. We want that tunnel. Therefore, in cooperation with the security forces, we will write a specifications sheet. You have filmed the railroad. Even the iron tracks of the railroad are still there. Lebanon has the right [to this tunnel] in the full sense of the word. We will promote this vigorously. This will become another article in the negotiations. We want every inch of the properties and lands of the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation."