Israel continues to violate ceasefire as residents rally to return to southern Lebanon

BEIRUT

Lebanese media reported new Israeli breaches of a ceasefire agreement on Tuesday as residents continued to rally to return to their villages in southern Lebanon.

The state news agency NNA said an Israeli drone dropped a bomb near a group of Lebanese soldiers and civilians in the border town of Yaroun.

No information was yet available about injuries.

There was no immediate comment from the Lebanese army on the incident.

NNA said the Israeli army destroyed several homes in Houla town and carried out an explosion near a mosque in Wazzani town in southern Lebanon.

According to the broadcaster, six people were released by the Israeli army after they were arrested while trying to return to their areas in Houla and Markaba towns.

Meanwhile, Lebanese media said that large crowds of residents gathered near the towns of Yaroun and Maroun El-Ras to return to their homes in the area.

Tension escalated as the Israeli army remained in the Lebanese territory after a 60-day deadline for its withdrawal from southern Lebanon passed on Sunday under a ceasefire agreement.

The White House, however, said that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to an extension of the deadline for the Israeli withdrawal until Feb. 18.

At least 26 people were killed and 160 others injured by Israeli gunfire since Sunday as residents tried to return to their villages in southern Lebanon, according to local health authorities.

A fragile cease-fire has been in place since Nov. 27, ending a period of mutual shelling between Israel and the Hezbollah group that began on Oct. 8, 2023, and escalated into a full-scale conflict on Sept. 23 last year.

Data from the Lebanese Health Ministry indicates that since Israel’s onslaught against Lebanon began on Oct. 8, 2023, at least 4,080 people have been killed, including women, children and health workers, while 16,753 have been injured.