Fifteen people have reportedly been killed in Lebanon as Israeli forces stay beyond the withdrawal deadline
Houssam Shbaro/Anadolu via Getty Images
Israeli forces killed at least 15 people and injured more than 80 others in southern Lebanon on Sunday after protesters demanded their withdrawal in line with a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah, News.Az citing the CBS.
The dead included two women and a Lebanese army soldier, the health ministry said in a statement.
Demonstrators, some of them carrying Hezbollah flags, attempted to enter several villages to protest Israel's failure to withdraw from southern Lebanon by the 60-day deadline stipulated in a ceasefire agreement that halted the Israel-Hezbollah war in late November.
Israel said on Friday it would keep troops in the south beyond the Sunday deadline because the Lebanese army had not yet fully deployed to ensure that Hezbollah does not reestablish its presence in the area. Meanwhile, Lebanon's U.S.-backed military has said it cannot deploy until Israeli forces withdraw and has accused Israel of procrastinating in its withdrawal.
The Israeli army blamed Hezbollah for stirring up Sunday's protests.
It said in a statement that its troops fired warning shots to "remove threats in a number of areas where suspects were identified approaching." It added that a number of suspects in proximity to Israeli troops were apprehended and were being questioned.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said in a statement addressing the people of southern Lebanon on Sunday that "Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity are non-negotiable, and I am following up on this issue at the highest levels to ensure your rights and dignity."
He urged them to "exercise self-restraint and trust in the Lebanese Armed Forces." The Lebanese army, in a separate statement, said it was escorting civilians into some towns in the border area and called on residents to follow military instructions to ensure their safety.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, whose Amal Movement party is allied with Hezbollah and who served as an interlocutor between the militant group and the U.S. during ceasefire negotiations, said that Sunday's bloodshed "is a clear and urgent call for the international community to act immediately and compel Israel to withdraw from occupied Lebanese territories."
An Arabic-language spokesperson for the Israeli military, Avichay Adraee, posted on X that Hezbollah had sent "rioters" and is "trying to heat up the situation to cover up its situation and status in Lebanon and the Arab world."
He warned residents of the border area not to attempt to return to their villages.
"The IDF does not intend to target you and therefore at this stage, you are prohibited from returning to your homes from this line south until further notice. Anyone who moves south of this line — exposes himself to danger," he said.
The dead included two women and a Lebanese army soldier, the health ministry said in a statement.
Demonstrators, some of them carrying Hezbollah flags, attempted to enter several villages to protest Israel's failure to withdraw from southern Lebanon by the 60-day deadline stipulated in a ceasefire agreement that halted the Israel-Hezbollah war in late November.
Israel said on Friday it would keep troops in the south beyond the Sunday deadline because the Lebanese army had not yet fully deployed to ensure that Hezbollah does not reestablish its presence in the area. Meanwhile, Lebanon's U.S.-backed military has said it cannot deploy until Israeli forces withdraw and has accused Israel of procrastinating in its withdrawal.
The Israeli army blamed Hezbollah for stirring up Sunday's protests.
It said in a statement that its troops fired warning shots to "remove threats in a number of areas where suspects were identified approaching." It added that a number of suspects in proximity to Israeli troops were apprehended and were being questioned.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said in a statement addressing the people of southern Lebanon on Sunday that "Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity are non-negotiable, and I am following up on this issue at the highest levels to ensure your rights and dignity."
He urged them to "exercise self-restraint and trust in the Lebanese Armed Forces." The Lebanese army, in a separate statement, said it was escorting civilians into some towns in the border area and called on residents to follow military instructions to ensure their safety.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, whose Amal Movement party is allied with Hezbollah and who served as an interlocutor between the militant group and the U.S. during ceasefire negotiations, said that Sunday's bloodshed "is a clear and urgent call for the international community to act immediately and compel Israel to withdraw from occupied Lebanese territories."
An Arabic-language spokesperson for the Israeli military, Avichay Adraee, posted on X that Hezbollah had sent "rioters" and is "trying to heat up the situation to cover up its situation and status in Lebanon and the Arab world."
He warned residents of the border area not to attempt to return to their villages.
"The IDF does not intend to target you and therefore at this stage, you are prohibited from returning to your homes from this line south until further notice. Anyone who moves south of this line — exposes himself to danger," he said.
Similar news
