Israeli forces abduct Lebanese olive picker as restrictions cut off more than half of village farmland

<a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/israel/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/israel/">Israeli</a> forces opened fire near a group of residents and abducted one as they harvested olives on the outskirts of <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/palestine-israel/2024/03/01/grim-reality-of-war-grips-lebanese-border-towns-near-front-line/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/palestine-israel/2024/03/01/grim-reality-of-war-grips-lebanese-border-towns-near-front-line/">Deir Mimas</a> on Friday, the mayor told <i>The National</i>, adding that Israeli restrictions have rendered more than half of the southern <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/lebanon/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/lebanon/">Lebanese</a> village’s olive groves inaccessible.

“The group was picking olives in an area that was off-limits,” mayor Tania Barnaba said, adding that Israeli troops subsequently set up a checkpoint on the outskirts of the village, blocking further access to the olive groves. The Israeli army had previously warned residents against entering the area, which encompasses more than half of the village’s olive groves. But villagers continued attempting to harvest their trees despite the restrictions: “In the end, it’s their livelihood.

Deir Mimas lives off its olives,” Ms Barnaba said. Deir Mimas is almost entirely dependent on olive cultivation and olive oil production, providing a main source of income for many of its residents. The incident highlights the mounting difficulties facing residents of the few villages that are still inhabited within or near Israel’s so-called “security zone” – a territory some 10-12km deep that is occupied by Israel. Israeli military restrictions have disrupted access to villagers’ farmland, prohibiting a major source of income Ms Barnaba said residents of the town had been informed that Deir Mimas fell within the Israeli military's so-called yellow line, which separates areas of southern Lebanon occupied by Israel – where Israeli troops restrict civilian access – from areas under Lebanese state control.

“We found out that we're inside the yellow line,” she said. “We don't know how or why. Nobody came and marked it out.” <i>The National</i> has previously observed a steady but gradual <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/09/02/tracing-israeli-armys-gradual-expansion-beyond-self-established-security-zone-in-south-lebanon/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/09/02/tracing-israeli-armys-gradual-expansion-beyond-self-established-security-zone-in-south-lebanon/">pattern of Israeli expansion</a> of its control in south Lebanon, with military analysts calling the process a "mobile yellow line".

Ms Barnaba said they had been informed of Deir Mimas’ status inside the yellow line following <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/09/22/unifil-counts-eight-fortified-bases-among-30-israeli-military-positions-in-south-lebanon/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/09/22/unifil-counts-eight-fortified-bases-among-30-israeli-military-positions-in-south-lebanon/">a confrontation</a> between Israeli forces and the Lebanese Armed Forces in mid-September.

On September 18, Israeli troops approached a newly established Lebanese army observation post on the outskirts of the village and threw stun grenades in its vicinity, prompting the army to eventually withdraw to their main post in the town. A Lebanese security source said at the time that "the co-ordinates of the yellow line appear to be changing by the day”. The Lebanese army’s post had been established to accompany residents inspecting their agricultural land.

However, Ms Barnaba said the Lebanese army no longer maintains a presence inside the village.