Ceasefire expires: 15 dead in southern Lebanon
Tensions continue in southern Lebanon despite the US-brokered ceasefire with Israel. As the Ministry of Health in Beirut announced, 15 people have now been killed in Israeli attacks and 83 others have been injured. According to the information, the residents tried to return to the areas still occupied by Israel, contrary to Israeli orders. After warning shots, soldiers opened fire.
A spokesman for the Israeli military addressed the population of southern Lebanon in a post on the short message service X. He accused the radical Islamic group Hezbollah of “inflaming the situation.” The Israeli army will inform residents “in the near future” to which places they can return.
Waiting for the return
Since early morning, residents have been gathering in towns in the south near the Israeli border, state agency NNA reported. Photos and videos of residents with yellow Hezbollah flags made the rounds on social media. In one video, a group of residents came to a stop in front of an Israeli tank, while others gathered on country roads in front of Israeli army blockades. There were sometimes traffic jams.
Actually, the fronts between Hezbollah, Israel and the Lebanese state should have been resolved by this Sunday. But contrary to what was agreed, Israeli troops are still stationed in southern Lebanon. According to the latest Israeli information, the withdrawal will be delayed. Lebanon has not yet fully implemented its part of the agreement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office explained the decision. The new US government also spoke out in favor of an extension.
The plan was for Hezbollah to withdraw behind the Litani River, about 30 kilometers north of the Israeli-Lebanese border. The Lebanese army was supposed to prevent the pro-Iranian militia from returning there. Although the army has advanced to several locations, it has not yet been able to take control of the entire area. Hezbollah is still moving there. The Lebanese army, in turn, has blamed Israel for delays in its deployment in the south of the country. It was not possible to send Lebanese soldiers to the area because Israel has not yet withdrawn troops.
Disarming the Iranian-backed Hezbollah was another part of the deal. The weapons are not yet under state control. Observers do not yet assume that Hezbollah will give up its weapons arsenal in the near future.
According to eyewitnesses, the Israeli army tried as much as possible to keep residents out of places where the troops were still stationed. The army said they would provide information about locations for a safe return in the south. “Until then, we ask you to wait.”
Insecurity continues to prevail among residents in both Lebanon and northern Israel. Many of them have not yet returned to their hometowns because they have no confidence in lasting peace.
