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KFAR KILA, Lebanon (Daily Star) -- A delegation from the Iranian Parliament headed by Deputy Speaker Mohammad Reza Bahonar toured the Lebanese-Israeli border in the south Thursday, stopping at Fatima Gate only moments after Israeli soldiers finished repair work on the border fence. “We stand today in an important and distinctive geographical area and at an important and distinctive historic moment, too. From the geographical aspect, we had the honor to visit this blessed spot of Lebanon, the land of Jabal Amel, at this point of Fatima Gate that separates the borders,” Bahonar said. He said the Iranian delegation’s visit coincided with “the birth of the new Lebanese government which was formed as a result of the excellent national unity that was manifested among all its respected sects.” The Fatima Gate, in the village of Kfar Kila, is a former border crossing between Lebanon and Israel which was closed in May 2000, following the pullout of Israeli troops. The Fatima Gate has since been the venue of anti-Israeli demonstrations. Bahonar said Tehran has “a solid determination” to implement all agreements and protocols of understanding signed by the Iranian and Lebanese governments. The Iranian delegation was accompanied by the Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Ghazanfar Roknabadi on its southern tour. The delegation began the tour by stopping in the village of Qana where they visited the graves of the victims of the Israeli massacre during the 1996 Israeli blitz on Lebanon. They later drove to the town of Maroun al-Ras, very close to the border with Israel, where they were received by two Bint Jbeil MPs, Hezbollah’s Hassan Fadlallah and Ali Bazzi from Speaker Nabih Berri’s parliamentary Development and Liberation bloc. “This stand in Maroun al-Ras, which carries big connotations through looking over occupied Palestine from Lebanon, confirms the need for confronting the Israeli challenge and threat to our country and our region,” Fadlallah said. After inspecting Fatima Gate at midday, the five-man delegation drove to the former Israeli detention center in the town of Khiam. The prison, where torture of Lebanese civilians was commonly practiced during the Israeli occupation, was preserved in its original condition following the Israeli pullout but was then later bombarded by Israeli warplanes during the 2006 war. The former detention center now houses the remains of Israeli tanks and other military vehicles captured during wartime and stands as an attraction for countless tourists. During the tour, the delegation inspected projects, including the building of roads and mosques, financed by Iran in a number of southern towns following the 2006 war. Upon returning to Beirut, the Iranian delegation met with Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah to discuss “the latest political developments in Lebanon, the region, and the scope of expected cooperation between Lebanon and Iran,” according to a statement released by Hezbollah’s media office. The Iranian delegation praised the resistance’s achievements, especially during the 2006 Israeli war on Lebanon. Nasrallah thanked Iran for “what it has offered to Lebanon and the Palestinian cause since the victory of the Islamic revolution in Iran,” the statement said.
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