DaysofPal- An Israeli drone strike on a town in southern Lebanon on Saturday killed two people and injured two more, the first since a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah went into effect on November 27.
The town of Rab Thalatheen was the target of the attack, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency, although other border towns also reported shelling.
Earlier, the health ministry reported that three people, including a seven-year-old child, were hurt in an Israeli strike that targeted a car in the village of Majdal Zoun. A separate Israeli strike on Al Bisariya, which is close to the city of Sidon in southern Lebanon, injured another person, the ministry said.
Lebanese reports indicate that Israel has continued to violate the ceasefire agreement with both air and ground attacks on southern Lebanon.
The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the strike in the village of Yaroun, nor did the Hezbollah group. At this point in the ceasefire, Israel is still urging the displaced Lebanese to avoid going back to dozens of southern villages. People crossing the Litani River between 5 p.m. and 7 a.m. are still subject to a daily curfew.
Israeli forces shelled the town of Al-Khiam, near the border, where machine-gun fire was reportedly heard. Israeli forces have been attempting to capture the town for nearly two weeks but have encountered strong resistance on the ground.
Reports also noted the movement of Israeli military vehicles in the center of Khiam, with drones flying at low altitudes. In a separate development, Israeli tanks and bulldozers were said to have entered neighbourhoods in Aitaroun, Bint Jbeil, an area that had previously been untouched by Israeli forces during the conflict with Hezbollah.
A truce took effect on Wednesday, but Lebanon has raised concerns with the US and France about Israel’s violations of the agreement.
The ceasefire, aimed at ending over a year of cross-border clashes and two months of intense fighting, began early Wednesday.
Under the deal, the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers are to deploy in southern Lebanon as Israeli forces withdraw over the next 60 days. Hezbollah is also required to pull its forces north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometers from the border, and dismantle its military infrastructure in the region.
Despite the ceasefire, significant challenges persist. Many families in southern Lebanon are unable to bury their dead due to ongoing tensions.
The Lebanese Health Ministry and military have designated a plot of land in Tyre for temporary burials. Dr. Wissam Ghazal of the Health Ministry reported that nearly 200 bodies have been temporarily laid to rest there, pending a safer situation near the border.
“Until now, we haven’t been able to return to our village, and our hearts are heavy knowing our martyrs are buried this way,” said Om Ali, a woman from the border town of Aita el-Shaab, whose husband, a combatant, was killed in the war.
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