Israel accuses Hezbollah of violating the ceasefire, launching airstrikes – nationwide
Israel's military said on Thursday that its warplanes had fired on southern Lebanon after detecting Hezbollah activity at a rocket depot, the first Israeli airstrike in a day since the end of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.
There were no reports of casualties during the Israeli airstrikes, which came hours after the Israeli army said it fired on people trying to return to some areas in southern Lebanon. Israel said it was violating the ceasefire, without giving details. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said two people were injured.
The series of events caused uneasiness about the agreement, made by the United States and France, which includes a two-month ceasefire during which Hezbollah terrorists must withdraw north of the Litani River and Israeli troops must return to their side. of the border. The security area will be patrolled by the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers.
On Thursday, in the second day of the ceasefire after more than a year of bloody conflicts between Israel and Hezbollah, the Lebanese news agency reported that Israeli fire targeted the residents of Markaba, near the border, without giving further details. Israel said it fired artillery at three other locations near the border. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
An Associated Press reporter in northern Israel near the border heard Israeli warplanes screeching loudly and the sound of artillery fire from the Lebanese side.
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The Israeli military said in a statement that “several suspects were identified arriving in vehicles in several areas in southern Lebanon, violating the terms of the ceasefire.” It said the army “opened fire on them” and “will enforce the ceasefire violation.”
Israeli officials said troops would be withdrawn gradually as they confirmed the agreement was being implemented. Israel has warned people not to return to areas where troops are deployed, and says it reserves the right to strike Hezbollah if it violates the terms of the deal.
A Lebanese military official said the Lebanese army would gradually deploy south as Israeli forces withdraw. The official spoke and asked not to be identified because he is not authorized to speak to the media.
The cease-fire agreement announced late Tuesday ended a 14-month conflict between Israel and Hezbollah that began a day after the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas from Gaza, when the Lebanese militant group began firing rockets, drones and missiles in coordination.
Israel retaliated with airstrikes, and the conflict gradually intensified for about a year before all-out war broke out in mid-September. The conflict in Gaza is ongoing and never ending.
More than 3,760 people were killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon during the war, most of them civilians, according to Lebanese health officials. The war killed more than 70 people in Israel – more than half of them civilians – and dozens of Israeli soldiers fighting in southern Lebanon.
About 1.2 million people have been displaced in Lebanon, and thousands began to return to their homes on Wednesday despite warnings from the Lebanese army and the Israeli army to evacuate certain areas. About 50,000 people remained in their places on the Israeli side, but few have returned and the communities near the northern border are still largely abandoned.
In Menara, an Israeli border community overlooking Lebanon, about three out of four houses were damaged, some with collapsed roofs and burned interiors. Several residents were seen gathering their belongings on Thursday before leaving again.
Frankel reported from northern Israel. Associated Press writer Natalie Melzer in Nahariya, Israel contributed.
© 2024 The Canadian Press
