ALBAWABA - As the fighting in southern Lebanon escalated, Israeli soldiers murdered 22 Lebanese residents, including a soldier, and wounded 124 more. As international and political outrage over the situation grew, the Israeli military likewise banned inhabitants from returning to 66 communities, claiming security concerns.
The assaults targeted inhabitants trying to return to their communities, including Houla and Kfar Kila, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, which verified the deaths. According to reports, Israeli soldiers opened fire on residents in Houla, causing several injuries and the detention of two people. As evacuated families disregarded Israeli authorities' advice to avoid the area, roads leading to southern communities were congested. Since then, the Lebanese army has increased its numbers in the area.
The peace deal with Hezbollah, which started on November 27, 2024, gave Israel 60 days to remove its soldiers from southern Lebanon. The deadline ended Sunday morning. Israeli forces still persisted with their activities along the border, breaking the agreement and provoking harsh condemnation from Lebanese authorities.
Reiterating Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial unity, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun urged southerners to have faith in the military and asked for calm. Nabih Berri, the speaker of parliament, denounced Israel's actions as flagrant breaches of the truce. Najib Mikati, the acting prime minister, called on foreign mediators to put pressure on Israel to leave, threatening dire repercussions if the conditions of the truce and UN Resolution 1701 are not respected.
Nawaf Salam, the prime minister-designate, stated his complete faith in the army's capacity to protect Lebanese sovereignty and enable the safe repatriation of displaced citizens.
Avichay Adraee, a spokesman for the Israeli military, said that Hezbollah was the main culprit for the devastation in southern Lebanon and that new rules for returning residents will be released shortly. Adraee stressed that 66 communities are still off-limits, nevertheless.
Concerns over southern citizens' safety were voiced by the UN. UNIFIL Commander Major General Aroldo Lázaro and UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Joanna Wronecka emphasized in a joint statement that the ongoing presence of Israeli soldiers is an obstacle to safe returns. “The situation is not yet appropriate for the safe return of residents to their villages along the Blue Line, as tragically demonstrated this morning,” they said.
