(Bloomberg) – Israeli troops killed 15 people on Sunday (26) and injured dozens more as the deadline set in a ceasefire agreement for the withdrawal of Israel and Hezbollah from southern Lebanon expired, Israeli authorities said. Lebanese health. Hundreds of Lebanese citizens, some carrying Hezbollah flags, headed Sunday to cities in the country’s south, defying Israeli warnings against entering villages where its military forces are deployed.
Israeli troops operating in southern Lebanon fired warning shots in several areas where suspects were identified approaching troops, the Israel Defense Forces said. They also arrested several suspects who were close to troops and posed an imminent threat, they added.
The November deal, which ended a conflict that killed thousands of people, gave Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters 60 days to withdraw from villages in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed group designated as a terrorist organization by the US, was forced to withdraw north of the Litani River, with the Lebanese army deploying in their place and ensuring they did not return.
Negotiations have been taking place to extend the deadline established in the agreement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled on Friday that the truce would be extended and that the gradual withdrawal process would continue in coordination with the US. The measure is conditional on the deployment of the Lebanese Army in southern Lebanon and the full implementation of Hezbollah’s withdrawal, which, according to him, had not yet been completed.
“Hezbollah is returning to southern Lebanon in contravention of arrangements signed two months ago,” said Sarit Zehavi, head of the Israel-based Alma Research and Education Center. “The Lebanese army is not fulfilling its mission to deploy effectively in southern Lebanon to prevent Hezbollah from returning, and Hezbollah is encouraging its own Shia Muslim base to return.”
Hezbollah began attacking Israel with drones and missiles on October 8, the day after Hamas’ incursion into southern Israel, in solidarity with the Palestinian group. Israel retaliated by attacking Hezbollah positions, mainly in southern Lebanon. The conflict was largely contained until September, when Israel stepped up attacks on Hezbollah, sent troops into Lebanon and assassinated most of its senior figures, including leader Hassan Nasrallah.
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Hezbollah had long insisted that it would not agree to a halt to hostilities until fighting stopped in Gaza. But it changed its stance after suffering severe military losses, with much of its stockpile of missiles and drones being consumed or destroyed by Israeli strikes. The ceasefire agreement was reached after weeks of US-mediated negotiations.
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