BURJ MULUK: As civilians attempted to return home on the day Israel was supposed to leave under a truce agreement, Israeli army fire killed 22 people in south Lebanon on Sunday, including a soldier, according to health officials.
The deadline for evacuation is a component of a ceasefire agreement that was agreed two months ago and put an end to Israel’s battle with Hezbollah, which had weakened the militant group from Lebanon.
As the Israeli army withdrew over a 60-day period ending on Sunday, the agreement, which went into effect on November 27, stated that the Lebanese army would deploy in the south alongside United Nations peacekeepers.
Israel announced on Friday that it would continue to maintain troops in south Lebanon across the border after the departure date, and the sides have exchanged blame for the agreement’s implementation delay.
Israeli forces fired on “citizens who were trying to return to their villages that are still under (Israeli) occupation,” according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
According to the report, 124 people were injured and 22 people—including six ladies and a soldier—were killed. Additionally, the Lebanese army reported that one soldier had died and that another had been injured.
In a statement, the Israeli military said that when “suspects were identified approaching the troops,” its “troops operating in southern Lebanon fired warning shots to remove threats.” “A number of suspects… that posed an imminent threat to the troops were apprehended,” the statement continued.
Convoys of cars carrying hundreds of people, some flying yellow Hezbollah flags, were attempting to reach a number of border settlements, according to journalists.
Ali Harb, a 27-year-old who was attempting to travel to Kfar Kila, declared, “We will return to our villages and the Israeli enemy will leave,” even if it means losing life.
“Conditions are not yet in place for the safe return of citizens to their villages,” according to a joint statement from the head of the UNIFIL peacekeeping force and Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the UN special coordinator for Lebanon.
“Warnings and threats”
On a major route in the border town of Bint Jbeil, hundreds of people gathered for a group prayer before marching to some neighboring towns, according to a journalist.
Additionally, residents were observed riding motorcycles and walking toward the devasted border village of Mays al-Jabal, where Israeli troops remain.
While women wearing black carried pictures of family members murdered in the conflict, others displayed portraits of Hassan Nasrallah, the former leader of Hezbollah who was killed in an Israeli attack in late September.
Residents of around 60 communities in southern Lebanon received a message early on Sunday from Israeli military spokeswoman Avichay Adraee warning them not to go back.
Hezbollah politician Hassan Fadlallah celebrated “the return of residents in spite of the threats and warnings” during a broadcast appearance from the border village of Aita al-Shaab.
The former army chief who assumed office earlier this month, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, urged citizens to be calm and “trust the Lebanese army,” which he claimed aimed “to ensure your safe return to your homes and villages.”
He issued a statement saying, “I am following up on this issue at the highest levels to ensure your rights and dignity, as Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are non-negotiable.”
