Hundreds of inhabitants in southern Lebanon brave the Israeli army, 22 dead

Hundreds of inhabitants in southern Lebanon brave the Israeli army, 22 dead
Hundreds of inhabitants in southern Lebanon brave the Israeli army, 22 dead

The ceasefire agreement in Lebanon was extended until February 18, announced the United States, after hundreds of inhabitants in southern Lebanon tried to return to their villages on Sunday, some still busy by the Israeli forces who drew in their direction and left 22 dead according to the Lebanese authorities.

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AFP correspondents have seen convoys of dozens of cars, where the yellow flags of Hezbollah floated, converge towards villages devastated by the war between the Israeli army and the pro-Iranian movement.

The Israeli army drew in several border localities on “citizens who were trying to return to their villages”, killing 22 people, including a Lebanese soldier and six women, and 124 wounded, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

Israel said that his soldiers had launched “summons to eliminate threats in several areas where suspects were identified approaching troops”, adding that he “apprehended suspects”.

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

Under the agreement which ended the war on November 27 between Israel and Hezbollah pro-Iranian, the Israeli army was supposed to have completed its withdrawal from southern Lebanon on Sunday where only the Lebanese army and the peacekeepers UN can be deployed. But Israel announced on Friday that the operation would continue beyond that date, saying that the agreement was not fully applied by Lebanon.

The White House finally announced on Sunday the extension of “the agreement between Lebanon and Israel, supervised by the United States (…) until February 18, 2025”, in a brief press release.

“The Lebanese government reaffirms its commitment (..) to continue the implementation of the cease-fire agreement until February 18, 2025,” Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said in a statement early Monday after a statement after To be concerted with President Joseph Aoun and the head of Parliament Nabih Berri “about (..) of the results of the contacts carried out with the American part responsible for supervising the agreement”.

“We are going to come back”

In a first official reaction, Hezbollah, who was weakened from the war, praised “a glorious day” and a “scene of pride written by the great people of the Resistance (in Israel, editor’s note) which again proves its deep attachment to its land ”.

The movement called on the guaranteed countries of the agreement to “assume their responsibilities in the face of violations and crimes of the Israeli enemy, and to force it to withdraw entirely”.

A surveillance mechanism bringing together , the United States, Lebanon, Israel and peacekeepers has been set up to monitor the application of the agreement.

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An AFP correspondent saw hundreds of inhabitants in the city of Bint Jbeil gather in the main street to pray collectively, before heading in procession to neighboring villages.

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

They brandished portraits of former Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah chief, killed by Israel at the end of September, and photos of their relatives who perished during the war.

“We are going to return to our villages and the Israeli enemy will leave, even if it will make martyrs,” AFP Ali Harb, a 27 -year -old man who was trying to return to the devastated village of Kfarkila, to AFP.

In addition to the Israeli withdrawal, the agreement provides that Hezbollah withdraws its forces and dismantles any remaining military infrastructure in the south.

The Arabic-speaking spokesman for the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee, had called on X residents of the South to “wait” before returning.

“Accompany the inhabitants”

Lebanese president Joseph Aoun invited residents to show “composure” and “trust the Lebanese army”, “anxious to ensure your return to your homes and villages”.

The army, which is redeployed as Israel withdraws, announced Sunday evening that it “continued to accompany the inhabitants”.

She added “standing alongside them to protect them in the face of Israeli attacks”, accusing the Israeli army of “refusing to respect the ceasefire and to withdraw” from Lebanese territory.

French President Emmanuel Macron asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an interview on the phone, to “withdraw his forces still present in Lebanon”, according to the Élysée.

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

Saying to support Hamas, Hezbollah had opened a front against Israel in the aftermath of the attack on the Palestinian Islamist movement against Israel on October 7, 2023, which sparked the war in the Gaza Strip. This front degenerated at the war opened last September.

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