KIRYAT SHMONA, Israel – U.S. taxpayer dollars may be inadvertently supporting Hezbollah through aid to Lebanon and the United Nations.
On Israel's volatile northern border, the consequences of this complex situation are playing out daily. As Hezbollah continues its barrage of attacks on Israel, a troubling connection has emerged between U.S. aid to Lebanon and the terrorist group's operations.
Israel Defense Forces Res. Major Shadi Khaloul told CBN News, "By supporting the Lebanese Army, you are supporting Hezbollah."
The United States provides approximately $300 million annually to the Lebanese Army, ostensibly to help keep the peace. However, the lines between the official military and the terror group are increasingly blurred.
"The Lebanese army contains 50 percent of Shia (Muslim) fighters or soldiers," Khaloul continued. "And those Shia soldiers, their cousins are in Hezbollah. And their brothers are serving in Hezbollah as terror fighters or terrorists."
We visited a kibbutz on the Lebanese border in the Israeli town of Malkiya. A village called Blida is just a quarter mile away on a nearby hillside. It's in Lebanon, and it's one of the places where Hezbollah is daily firing missiles, rockets, and drones at Israel.
Malkiya resident Eitan Oren told us, "We are holding a gun to protect ourselves when we have no interest in invading into Lebanon – to fight anyone, not to kill anyone. We just do it for our own protection."
Since October, Hezbollah has launched more than 7,000 rockets into Israel, with border communities bearing the brunt, adding to the complexity is UNIFIL – a U.N. peacekeeping force deployed since 1973 to maintain peace. Critics argue they've failed to prevent Hezbollah's growing threat.
Major Khaloul contends, "We in Israel cannot and shall not depend on any resolution that gives power to Lebanese army that is penetrated by Hezbollah and to UNIFIL that is allowing under (U.N. Resolution) 1701, Hezbollah to grow up to this level of monster."
UNIFIL's annual budget exceeds $800 million, with a significant portion coming from U.S. taxpayers. Despite this investment, Hezbollah's attacks continue.
In Kiryat Shmona, we experienced the seriousness of the conflict. As we were in the middle of a live standup, we were forced to hit the ground when the rocket siren sounded in the city.
Eitan Oren remarked, "You're fighting against ghosts, and especially, underground ghosts. So it takes time, but we're winning."
As Israel continues to defend against daily attacks, questions persist about the effectiveness of U.S. aid to Lebanon and U.N. peacekeeping efforts in the region.
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