Lebanon’s House Speaker, Tourism Minister Tackle Issue of Wazzani Parks Closure

By Staff, Agencies

Lebanese House Speaker, Nabih Berri, followed up Sunday on the issue of closing the tourism parks along the Wazzani River, in south Lebanon.

For this purpose, he contacted the Caretaker Minister of Tourism, Walid Nassar, whereby it was agreed that Minister Nassar would meet on Monday with the owners of the parks to take the necessary measures to reopen them.

Last Thursday, Lebanese security forces shut down ten parks located on the bank of the Wazzani River and sealed them with red wax, based on a judicial decision.

The closure of the parks was based on a complaint filed by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon [UNIFIL] to the Lebanese army in 2013, that ducks raised in one of these parks are crossing the so-called Blue Line.

The “Israeli” entity considers these parks, which are visited by tourists at the last border point, a security “threat”. The entity has always worked to intimidate the owners and visitors of these parks by firing flares over them. “Israeli” Occupation Forces [IOF] soldiers have repeatedly crossed the riverbed and the “Blue Line” in this area, as well as released wild boars in it.