Israeli army shells Lebanese towns as cease-fire enters day 2

BEIRUT

The Israeli army shelled several towns in southern Lebanon on Thursday as a cease-fire between the two sides entered its second day, local media said.

Lebanon’s official National News Agency reported artillery shelling in the towns of Ayta al-Shaab and Bent Jbeil in southern Lebanon.

An airstrike also targeted a car in the town of Markaba, leaving two people injured, the state agency said.

Israeli tank fire also hit Khiam, Taybe, Wazzani, and the outskirts of Kfarshouba in southern Lebanon.

Israeli reconnaissance planes also flew over the districts of Tyre and Bent Jbeil on Thursday morning.

The Israeli army, for its part, claimed that it carried out an airstrike targeting an alleged Hezbollah rocket facility in Markaba.

The army warned Lebanese civilians early Thursday to stay clear of 10 villages in southern Lebanon until further notice, warning that anyone who “crosses the line puts himself in danger.”

The cease-fire deal took effect early Wednesday to end more than 14 months of fighting between the Israeli army and Hezbollah.

Under the terms of the cease-fire, Israel will withdraw its forces south of the blue line de facto border in a phased manner while the Lebanese army deploys its forces in southern Lebanon within a period that does not exceed 60 days.

Implementation of the agreement will be overseen by the US and France, but details on enforcement mechanisms remain unclear.

More than 3,800 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Lebanon and over 1 million displaced since October last year, according to Lebanese health authorities.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar