Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
Beirut, SANA_ Lebanon and freedom-loving peoples of the world on Monday commemorated the 20th anniversary of the end of the Israeli occupation of south Lebanon after great sacrifices by the Lebanese people and national resistance.
On May 25th, 2000, the Lebanese resistance and people, following years of steadfastness and struggle, managed to defeat the Israeli occupation after forcing its forces to evacuate their positions from tens of Lebanese villages and towns amid a state of confusion among the Israeli soldiers and officers.
Member of the Lebanese Development and Liberation Bloc Qasem Hashem described as “major turning point in the history of Lebanon and the Arab nation the victory of the national resistance”.
He said that this victory has proved that people’s will and resistance can triumph regardless of the arrogance of the enemy and it has foiled the Israeli scheme in Lebanon.
The Lebanese official hoped that liberation will be completed after the occupied Sheba’a farms, Kfar Shouba hills and the northern part of al-Ghajar villages are regained.
The victory over the Israeli occupation comes thanks to the Lebanese people’s steadfastness and adherence to the complete liberation of their occupied territory, Commander of the Lebanese Army, Gen. Joseph Aoun, said.
He renewed Lebanon’s right to restore its occupied land and confront the Israeli enemy’s schemes and breaches of the Lebanese sovereignty.
On May 21, 2000, people in South Lebanon formed human chains, backed by the Lebanese National Resistance, and proceeded in several south Lebanese villages, starting from al-Ghandoureyya, al-Qantara, al-Tayeba Der Siryan, Alman, Adsheet, Howla, Markaba, Bleeda, Bani hayyan, Tallousa, Edessa, Beit yahoun, Konin and several others, and managed to liberate them.
On May 22, 2000, the Lebanese citizens continued to proceed in the towns of Bint Jbeil, Einata, Yaroun al-Tiri and the rest of the neighboring areas amid the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces.
The Lebanese citizens and resistance men stormed al-Kheyam prison and liberated all the captives jailed by the Israeli occupation and then continued their progress towards the towns of western Bakaa, Hasbayya and the surrounding villages.
On May 25 of 2000, the Israeli occupation forces, by orders from the then Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, evacuated all the positions they occupied in South Lebanon while the Lebanese resistance was going ahead with its liberation operation.
The victory of the Lebanese national resistance in 2000 came with the great support of Syria and the countries supporting the axis of resistance.
20 years after the liberation of South Lebanon, struggle continues against the Israeli occupation and the Lebanese people affirm their adherence to resistance as the option to liberate the rest of the occupied Lebanese lands.
Gh.A.Hassoun
