Lebanon says 2 hurt as Israeli troops fire on people returning south after truce with Hezbollah

AP , Thursday 28 Nov 2024

At least two people were wounded by Israeli fire in southern Lebanon on Thursday, according to state media.

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Residents start rebuilding their houses damaged in Israeli airstrikes, in Baalbek, eastern Lebanon, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. AP

 

The Israeli military said it had fired at people trying to return to certain areas on the second day of a ceasefire with the Hezbollah group.

The agreement, brokered by the United States and France, includes an initial two-month cease-fire in which Hezbollah fighters are to withdraw north of the Litani River and Israeli forces are to return to their side of the border. The buffer zone would be patrolled by Lebanese troops and U.N. peacekeepers.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said two people were wounded by Israeli fire in Markaba, close to the border, without providing further details. It said Israel fired artillery in 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 drones buzzing overhead and the sound of artillery strikes from the Lebanese side.

The Israeli military claimed in a statement that “several suspects were identified arriving with vehicles to a number of areas in southern Lebanon, breaching the conditions of the ceasefire.” It said troops “opened fire toward them” and would “actively enforce violations of the ceasefire agreement.”

Israeli officials have said forces will be withdrawn gradually as it ensures that the agreement is being enforced. 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 truce.

A Lebanese military official said Lebanese troops would gradually deploy in the south as Israeli troops withdraw. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media.

 

Lebanese army soldiers manning a checkpoint, use a military vehicle to block a road in southern Lebanon's Marjayoun area. AFP

 

The ceasefire agreement announced late Tuesday ended 14 months of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

More than 3,760 people were killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon during the conflict, according to Lebanese health officials. The fighting killed more than 70 people in Israel — over half of them civilians — as well as dozens of Israeli soldiers fighting in southern Lebanon.

Some 1.2 million people were displaced in Lebanon, and thousands began streaming back to their homes on Wednesday despite warnings from the Lebanese military and the Israeli army to stay out of certain areas. Some 50,000 people were displaced on the Israeli side, but few have returned and the communities near the northern border are still largely deserted.

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