Israel and Hezbollah traded accusations of truce violations today, a day after it came into force to halt fighting in Lebanon after more than a year.
In the first attack since a ceasefire took effect early Wednesday, Israel’s military said today that the Israeli Air Force struck a facility used by Hezbollah to store medium-range rockets in southern Lebanon.
Earlier today, the Israeli military stressed that the ceasefire had been violated after suspects, some in vehicles, arrived in several areas in the southern zone.
Shiite lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah in turn accused Israel of violating the agreement by opening fire on civilians returning to their villages along Lebanon’s southern border with Israel.
“The Israeli army is attacking those who return to the border villages,” he told reporters after a session of parliament, adding that “there are violations today by Israel, even in this form.”
Israeli tank fire hit six areas inside the border strip this morning, hitting Markaba, Ouazani and Kfarsuba, Hiyya, Taibe and rural plains around Marzayoun, Lebanese state media and Lebanese security sources said. .
All areas are within two kilometers of the Blue Line demarcating the border between Lebanon and Israel. One of the security sources said two people were injured in Markaba.
Traffic ban
The Israeli army announced that it is re-imposing a curfew today from 5pm to 7am on the population in southern Lebanon. “It is strictly prohibited to travel south of the Litani River from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. tomorrow” Friday, the Israeli army’s Arabic-speaking spokesman, Avichai Andrai, said, urging people south of the river to “remain where they are.” A similar ban was issued yesterday.
Lebanese families displaced from their homes near the southern border tried to return to control their properties. However, Israeli troops remain deployed on Lebanese soil in towns along the border and Reuters reporters heard surveillance drones flying over areas of southern Lebanon.
There was no immediate comment on tank firings by Hezbollah or Israel.
Under the terms of the ceasefire, Israeli forces may take up to 60 days to withdraw from southern Lebanon, but the agreement does not allow either side to launch offensive operations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the army not to allow residents to return to Lebanese villages near the border.
Lebanon’s parliament speaker Nabih Berri, the lead negotiator for Lebanon in negotiating the deal, said yesterday that residents could return to their homes that they had left because of the war between Israel and Hezbollah.
Netanyahu launched the attack on Hezbollah by saying Israelis in the north of the country should be able to return after being forced out by rocket fire from Lebanon. About 60,000 people who were driven from their homes in the Israeli north have not yet been instructed to return to their homes.
Hezbollah has said its fighters “remain fully equipped to counter the aims and attacks of the Israeli enemy” and that its forces will watch Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon “with hands on the trigger”.
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