Lebanese again try to return home after deadly Israeli attacks
Southern Lebanon residents accompanied by the army tried to return to their villages a day after Israeli soldiers opened fire, killing 24 people and wounding 134 others. Dozens of vehicles carrying families headed towards border towns a day after hundreds of residents tried unsuccessfully to get back into their homes.
In the village of Burj al-Muluk, dozens of men, women and children gathered behind a dirt barrier, some holding yellow Hezbollah flags, hoping to reach the border town of Kfar Kila, where the Israeli military is still deployed.
The official National News Agency reported that Lebanese “army reinforcements” arrived near the border town of Maiss el-Jabal, where people started to gather at “the entrance of the town” in preparation for entering alongside the military.
Israel’s military has refused to withdraw despite agreeing to do so in a November ceasefire.
Commitment to renewed Lebanon ceasefire deadline essential: UN
The top UN official in Lebanon says the formal extension of the ceasefire until February 18 could be a good sign.
“The formalisation of the extension of the timetable for the withdrawal of the Israeli army and the deployment of the Lebanese army in southern Lebanon renews hope for those displaced from their homes and villages,” Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert wrote in a post on X.
“A firm commitment by all parties to meet the agreed deadlines and to the effective implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701 is of utmost importance,” said the UN special coordinator for Lebanon.
At least 24 people were killed in Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon starting on Sunday, the day that the Israeli army’s forces were due to withdraw from the area.
Hezbollah politician warns Lebanese ‘ready to liberate’ the south
A Hezbollah lawmaker warned his group, alongside the Lebanese army, is prepared to liberate villages where Israeli troops remain after ignoring a ceasefire pledge to withdrawal forces from the south by Sunday.
“The residents of these villages where the occupation remains are getting ready with our national army to liberate it,” Hassan Fadlallah said, speaking at an event in the southern city of Bint Jbeil, where Hezbollah’s reconstruction arm launched a rebuilding project.
At least 25 people have been killed and 140 wounded over the past two days as Israeli soldiers open fire on Lebanese villagers determined to re-enter their homes in southern Lebanon.
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