The Israel Defense Forces opened fire Thursday at “suspects” in southern Lebanon that allegedly violated the terms of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah.
IDF Arabic Spokesperson Avichay Adraee wrote on X that “in the past hour, a number of suspects were observed arriving, some of them in vehicles, to several areas in southern Lebanon, which constitutes a violation of the agreement.”
The Israeli and Lebanese militaries have warned displaced Lebanese not to return to evacuated villages in southern Lebanon – where Israeli troops are still present following their ground invasion in early October – until the forces withdraw. The deal, brokered by the U.S. and France and approved by Israel late Tuesday, calls for an initial two-month halt to fighting and requires Hezbollah to end its armed presence in southern Lebanon, while Israeli troops are to return to their side of the border.
“IDF forces opened fire at them,” Adraee said. “IDF forces deployed in the southern Lebanon area are enforcing any violation of the ceasefire agreement.”
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He also posted a map on X of a zone running along the Israel-Lebanon border that Lebanese residents should stay away from for the time being.
“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,” Adraee added. “Anyone who moves south of this line – exposes himself to danger.”
Israeli tanks struck six areas within that region Thursday morning, wounding two people, Reuters reported, citing Lebanese state media and security sources.
The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah is in its second day, with the Lebanese terrorist group saying that its fighters “remain fully equipped to deal with the aspirations and assaults of the Israeli enemy” and will monitor the withdrawal of IDF troops “with their hands on the trigger,” according to Reuters.
The conflict in Lebanon began when Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, initiated strikes into Israel’s north after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Since the back-and-forth began, Israel has killed many of Hezbollah’s leaders, in addition to degrading its infrastructure in Lebanon.
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By ending the conflict with Hezbollah, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Hamas would stand alone in the Gaza Strip, clearing the way for Israeli forces to recover the remaining hostages there.
Thousands of Lebanese displaced by the war returned home Wednesday as the ceasefire started to take hold, driving cars stacked with personal belongings, according to The Associated Press.
“They were a nasty and ugly 60 days,” Mohammed Kaafarani, who was displaced from the Lebanese village of Bidias, told the AP. “We reached a point where there was no place to hide.”
“We don’t care about the rubble or destruction. We lost our livelihood, our properties, but it’s OK, it will all come back,” added Fatima Hanifa, a resident who lives near Beirut.
In Israel, the mood reportedly was subdued, with displaced Israelis concerned that Hezbollah had not been defeated and that there was no progress toward returning hostages held in Gaza.
“I think it is still not safe to return to our homes because Hezbollah is still close to us,” Eliyahu Maman, who was displaced from the northern city of Kiryat Shmona, which was hit hard by the months of fighting, told the AP.
Fox News’ Danielle Wallace, Louis Casiano and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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