Fifteen Killed in Lebanon as Deadline for Israel, Hezbollah Withdrawal Passes
(Bloomberg) -- Israeli troops killed 15 people on Sunday and wounded dozens more as the deadline set in a ceasefire agreement for the withdrawal of Israel and Hezbollah from southern Lebanon passed, Lebanese health authorities said.
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Hundreds of Lebanese citizens, some carrying Hezbollah flags, made their way on Sunday to towns in the south of the country, defying Israeli warnings against entering villages where their military is deployed.
Israeli troops operating in southern Lebanon fired warning shots in a number of areas where suspects were identified approaching the troops, the Israel Defense Forces said. They also apprehended a number of suspects who were in proximity to troops and posed an imminent threat, it said.
The November agreement, which halted a conflict that had killed thousands of people, gave Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters 60 days to withdraw from southern Lebanese villages. Hezbollah, an Iran-backed group designated as a terrorist organization by the US, was required to withdraw north of the Litani River, with the Lebanese army deploying in their place and making sure they don’t return.
Negotiations have taken place to extend the deadline set in the agreement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled on Friday that the truce would be extended, and that the phased withdrawal process would continue in coordination with the US. The move is conditional on the Lebanese Army deploying in southern Lebanon and fully enforcing the Hezbollah pull-out, and this hadn’t been completed, he said.
“Hezbollah is coming back in south Lebanon in contradiction to the arrangements signed two months ago,” said Sarit Zehavi, head of the Israel-based Alma Research and Education Center. “The Lebanese army is not fulfilling its mission to deploy effectively in south Lebanon to prevent Hezbollah from coming back, and Hezbollah is pushing its own Muslim Shiite base to come back.”
Hezbollah started attacking Israel with drones and missiles on Oct. 8, a day after Hamas’ incursion in Israel’s south, in solidarity with the Palestinian group. Israel retaliated by striking Hezbollah’s positions, mostly in southern Lebanon. The conflict was largely contained until September when Israel stepped up assaults on Hezbollah, sent troops into Lebanon, and assassinated most of its senior figures, including leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Hezbollah had long insisted it wouldn’t agree to a cessation of hostilities until fighting stopped in Gaza. But it changed its stance after suffering severe military losses, with much of its stockpile of missiles and drones being used up or destroyed by Israeli attacks. The ceasefire agreement was reached following weeks of US-mediated talks.
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