Hundreds of inhabitants in southern Lebanon brave the Israeli army

Hundreds of inhabitants in southern Lebanon braved the Israeli army on Sunday and attempted to return to their villages, some still occupied by Israeli forces who opened fire in their direction, killing 22 people according to the Lebanese authorities.

Correspondents of theAFP have seen convoys of dozens of cars, brandishing the yellow flags of the Lebanese Hezbollah, converging on several villages devastated by the war between pro-Iranian training, which came out weakened, and the Israeli army.

The Israeli army delays its withdrawal from the southern country

Under the agreement which ended on November 27 to two months of open war, only the Lebanese army and the UN peacekeepers can now be deployed in southern Lebanon, hence the Israeli army must have completed his withdrawal on January 26.

But Israel announced on Friday that the withdrawal operation would continue beyond this deadline, believing that the agreement has not been fully applied by Lebanon.

The Israeli army has pulled in several border localities on citizens who tried to return to their villageskilling 22 people, including a Lebanese soldier and six women, and 124 injured, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

For its part, the Israeli army indicated that its soldiers had fired Hourish blows to eliminate threats in several areas where suspects have been seen approaching troopsadding having apprehended suspects Who constituted an imminent threat.

The peacekeepers, which estimated that the conditions for a return of the inhabitants were not not yet gatheredsaid he was imperative to avoid any additional deterioration in the situation and called the Israeli army to Avoid shooting civilians in Lebanese territory.

Hundreds of residents in motion

An AFP correspondent saw hundreds of inhabitants in the city of Bint Jbeil gathering in the main street to pray during a religious ceremony, before heading in procession to neighboring villages.

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According to him, dozens of inhabitants of the border locality of Maïss al-Jabal were heading towards the devastated village, where the Israeli army is still deployed.

They brandished portraits of the former Hezbollah chief, Hassan Nasrallah, killed by Israel at the end of September, and photos of their relatives who died in the war between Israel and Hezbollah who had forced 900,000 people in Lebanon The flight and left more than 4,000 deaths according to the Lebanese authorities.

We will return to our villages, and the Israeli enemy will leave, even if it will make martyrsAFP told Ali Harb, a 27 -year -old young man who was trying to return to the devastated village of Kfarkila.

Images broadcast by local channels have shown, in another border village, Maroun al-Ras, Lebanese soldiers and men brandishing hezbollah flags and its ally, the Amal movement, a few meters from an Israeli chariot.

In addition to the Israeli withdrawal, the agreement provides that Hezbollah withdraws its forces north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometers from the border, and dismantles any remaining military infrastructure in the South.

The Arabic-speaking spokesman for the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee, had called the inhabitants of the South on X in to wait for Before returning. Do not allow Hezbollah to come back and use […]he said.

Lebanese president Joseph Aoun invited residents to show Sang-froID and at have confidence in the Lebanese army, Anxious to ensure your safe return to your homes and villages.

THE Agreement sponsors guests to put pressure on Israel

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For his part, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati called on Sunday The sponsors of the ceasefire agreement to assume their responsibilities […] and forcing the Israeli enemy to withdraw from the territories that he occupies.

A surveillance mechanism in which France, the United States, Lebanon, Israel and peacekeepers have been set up to monitor the application of the agreement.

French President Emmanuel Macron asked Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu during an interview on the phone, Remove his strength still present in Lebanonannounced the Élysée.

Il insisted with the Prime Minister on the importance that nothing compromises the efforts of the new Lebanese authorities to restore the authority of the State throughout the territoryadded the same source.

This is the most serious development since the election of a new president supported by the international community, Joseph Aoun, in Lebanon on January 9.

The Israeli army has withdrawn its forces from the coastal sector in southern Lebanon, but has remained in the areas further east.

Saying to act in support of his ally Hamas, Hezbollah had opened a front against Israel in the aftermath of the attack on the Palestinian Islamist movement on Israeli soil, October 7, 2023, which sparked the war in the Gaza Strip, where A fragile truce has also been in force since January 19.

This front had degenerated at the war opened last September, Israel bombing the capital, Beirut, and inflicting several harsh blows to the powerful Lebanese movement.