BEIRUT: Israeli army fire killed 22 people in south Lebanon on Sunday, including a soldier, health officials said, as residents tried to return home on the day Israel was supposed to withdraw under a truce deal.
Unarmed civilians were targeted by the soldiers’ gunfire and drone bombs.
The return of residents to the border area in southern Lebanon turned into scenes resembling a massacre.
The civilians’ return signaled the end of the 60-day deadline stipulated by the ceasefire agreement for the complete withdrawal of Israel’s forces from the areas they had invaded but failed to vacate.
The 60-day ceasefire deadline officially ended at 4 a.m. on Sunday.
After nine harrowing hours for Lebanon in light of the bloody developments — and despite Lebanese officials approaching the Quintet Committee overseeing the ceasefire implementation — civilians in Borj El-Mlouk and Maroun Al-Ras continued to be targeted.
Residents demanded “the immediate expulsion of Israeli forces from the region by force.”
President Joseph Aoun described “the day following the end of the Israeli withdrawal deadline as a day of victory for Lebanon, a triumph for justice, sovereignty, and national unity.”
He urged “returning citizens to exercise restraint and place their trust in the Lebanese armed forces, who are committed to protecting our sovereignty and security, ensuring your safe return to your homes and towns.”
Aoun emphasized that Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are non-negotiable.
At the entrances to villages in the western and central sectors, hundreds of residents gathered in vehicles, preparing to move toward frontline villages, which are considered supportive environments for Hezbollah and had not been evacuated by the Israeli army.
Despite the Lebanese Army Command’s warning to avoid these villages due to the danger of unexploded ordnance and the invading Israeli forces’ efforts to block civilian access with dirt barriers, residents disembarked from their vehicles at specific points.
After prolonged negotiations with Lebanese army checkpoints they continued on foot toward Mays Al-Jabal, Houla, Markaba, Aitaroun, Maroun Al-Ras, Yarine, Kfarkela, Borj El-Mlouk, Odaisseh, Rab Thalathin, Aita Al-Shaab and Blida.
Protesters chanted slogans demanding the departure of Israeli forces, asserting that these “are their villages, and they intend to return to them by force.”
One woman, who walked from Shaqra to her hometown, Houla, said: “I know that the homes in my town are destroyed, but this is my land, and I have the right to enter it and remain here, even if it’s atop the rubble.”
The Israeli forces responded to those moving into villages where they were still present with machine gun fire and sound and smoke grenades, which led to casualties.
These forces also took into custody people who approached their positions, particularly in the town of Houla.
Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam contacted President Aoun to express his “full confidence in the role of the Lebanese Armed Forces, primarily the army, in protecting Lebanon’s sovereignty and ensuring the safe return of our people in the south to their homes and villages.”
Nabi Berri, Lebanon’s parliament speaker, called on the international community and the state sponsors of the ceasefire to “act instantly and compel Israel to withdraw immediately from the territories it continues to occupy in southern Lebanon after occupation soldiers fired live bullets at unarmed civilians.”
Berri negotiated on behalf of Hezbollah to establish the ceasefire agreement.
In an ongoing assessment of the situation, it was reported that 22 people died as a result of Israeli gunfire.
Lebanon's Health Ministry said six women and a soldier were among those killed, and 124 more were wounded, including nine children.
Among the deceased were Abdul Hussein Murad, Hussein Yassin, Nizar Yaqub, Hussein Dahir Said, Jaafar Tawfiq Hamoud, and Tamara Shihimi, whose son was injured and subsequently captured by Israeli forces.
Mohammed Youssef Zahour, a first adjutant in the Lebanese army, was also among the injured.
Among the injured people were Rawia Al-Hujja, a soldier in the Lebanese army who was in her vehicle in the town of Deir Mimmas, and journalist Hussein Khalil, who was wounded in Maroun Al-Ras.
A statement from the Lebanese Army Command indicated that units of the army accompanied the entry of citizens into Aita Al-Shaab, Bint Jbeil, Deir Siriane, Aadchit Al-Qusayr, Taybeh, and Qantara in the Marjeyoun area, as well as other border regions.
It said that the entry took place during Israel’s ongoing breaches of Lebanese sovereignty, which caused civilian casualties, and its refusal to comply with the ceasefire agreement and withdraw from the Lebanese territories it recently occupied.
In the afternoon hours, the Lebanese army dispatched military reinforcements to its positions, and UNIFIL tanks could be seen separating the residents from the Israeli tanks in Kfar Kila.
Also on Sunday, UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, and the head of the UNIFIL mission, Gen. Aroldo Lazaro, issued a joint statement.
They noted that the deadlines specified in the November ceasefire agreement had not yet been met.
“We witnessed a tragic event this morning, indicating that the conditions are not yet conducive for the safe return of citizens to their villages along the Blue Line.
“Displaced communities, facing a long road to recovery, are urged to exercise caution. Violations of UN Resolution 1701 continue to be reported daily,” the statement added.
The two UN officials emphasized that the only way to move beyond the recent troubling chapter of the conflict is for both parties to adhere to their commitments outlined in the November ceasefire agreement and to fully implement UN Resolution 1701. The UN intended to maintain ongoing communication with all parties involved to achieve this objective, they said.
In a statement, the military leadership reiterated its “call for citizens to exercise restraint and adhere to the directives of military units to ensure their safety.”
The UNIFIL force, in a statement, urged the Israeli army to “refrain from firing on civilians within Lebanese territory. ” I
It called on the residents of the south to adhere to the directives of the Lebanese army.
For his part, Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee claimed that Hezbollah placed its narrow interests above those of the Lebanese state and was trying to escalate tension despite being the primary cause of destruction in southern Lebanon.
He also addressed the returnees and said: “Do not allow Hezbollah to exploit you in its attempt to cover up the devastating consequences of its irresponsible decisions at the expense of Lebanon's security.”
A Hezbollah MP denied the party having any influence on the civilians who returned to their villages.
Hezbollah legislator Ali Fayyad, who accompanied civilians back to Kfar Kila, said: “What we are witnessing is an initiative taken by the people; Hezbollah had nothing to do with it.
“The Israelis have adopted a treacherous stance.”
In a later statement, Hezbollah addressed the returnees: “Today, you have once again surprised the world and demonstrated that you are a proud, loyal, and courageous people.”
