Israeli military issues new order banning Lebanese residents returning to dozens of villages
The Israeli military has warned residents of southern Lebanon not to return to dozens more villages “until further notice” despite the ceasefire. In a notice published on social media, a military spokesman said residents would be at risk of attack by Israeli forces if they attempt to return home.
The announcement draws a no-go zone line through the villages of Shebaa, Hebbariyah, Marjayoun, Arnaoon, Yohmor, al-Qantara, Chaqra, Baraashit, Yatar and al-Mansouri.
“You are prohibited at this stage from returning to your homes from this line south until further notice,” the military spokesman said in the post which names dozens of villages that are off-limits to their residents.
The off-limits villages include:
Dahra, Taybeh, Tayri, Naqoura, Abu Shash, Abel Saqi, al-Bayyaada, al-Jebbayn, al-Khraiba, al-Khiam, Khirbet, al-Matmura, al-Mari, Odaisseh, al-Qalaa, Umm Tuta, Salib, Arnoun, Bint Jbeil, Beit Lif, Blida, Bani Hayyan, al-Bustan, Ain Arab Marjayoun, Debbin, Dbaal, Deir Mimas, Deir Siryan, Hula, Halta, Hanine, Tayr Harfa, Yahmar, Yaroun, Yarin, Kfar Hamam, Kfar Kila, Kfarchouba, al-Zaloutieh, Mahbib, Meiss el-Jabal, Maysat, Marjayoun, Marouhin, Maroun al-Ras, Markaba, Adshit al-Qusayr, Ain Abel, Ainata, Aita al-Shaab, Aitaroun, Alma ash-Shaab, Arab al-Luwaizeh, al-Qawzah, Rab Thalatheen, Ramieh, Rmeish, Rashaya al-Fakhar, Shebaa, and Sheheen.
‘Double standard’ built into Lebanon ceasefire agreement
The success of the ceasefire in Lebanon, in some ways, “is in Hezbollah’s court”, due to Israeli violations of it, says Mohamed Elmasry, a professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies.
“[Hezbollah] could certainly attack Israel right now on the basis that Israel has already violated the agreement, but so far, they have not,” Elmasry told Al Jazeera.
The US, additionally, is “not a neutral arbiter” in the ceasefire process, the professor said.
“It’s very clear that, from the US perspective, Israel has the right to engage Hezbollah, to attack Hezbollah, but Hezbollah does not reserve the same right to do to Israel,” he said. “So there’s already this kind of built-in double standard.”
Israel bombs Lebanese villages despite ceasefire respected by Hezbollah
From the Lebanese side, the ceasefire is holding to the maximum. The Lebanese army is even preventing people from going to some of their border villages.
Meanwhile, the Israeli forces are bombarding villages now. We just heard minutes ago of a drone strike on a car in the southern Lebanese village of Majdal Zoun.
Yesterday in the town of Khiam, there was a funeral. They shot at those at the funeral. They even confiscated the body of the person who died. I don’t know how that fits in the frame here.
Also, in the past three days, they abducted four people in Tayr Harfa and yesterday, the drones were buzzing above our heads here in Tyre and in different areas around the south.
So, from the Israeli side, it seems that breaches are continuous, and at the same time they’re trying to achieve what they wanted to during the ground operation. They are, for example, advancing towards some villages that they’ve not taken before.
If these things continue, no one can really control how things could evolve into a new situation.
Israel says it struck Syria-Lebanon border crossings
Israeli forces have conducted an “intelligence-based strike” on military infrastructure sites next to border crossings between Syria and Lebanon, the military said on its Telegram channel.
The military claimed the crossings were “used by Hezbollah to smuggle weapons from Syria into Lebanon”.
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