Lebanon: Two people shot by Israeli troops upon returning home
At least two people have been wounded in southern Lebanon after Israeli troops fired on them as they returned to their homes, according to AP.
As civilians arrived in Markaba on November 27th, the second day of the agreed ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, Israel’s military shot at what they said were Hezbollah suspects.
Lebanese state media reported Israeli artillery strikes at three other locations near the border.
The Israeli military said “several suspects were identified arriving with vehicles to a number of areas in southern Lebanon, breaching the conditions of the ceasefire.”
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Israeli vowed to “actively enforce violations of the ceasefire agreement.”
The ceasefire deal is comprised of an initial two-month truce, during which Israeli forces return to their side of the border and Hezbollah militants withdraw to north of the Litani river.
Patrol forces made up to UN peacekeepers and Lebanese troops will occupy the buffer zone, ensuring both sides keep their commitments.
Israel warned Lebanese civilians not to return to areas where there are still troops deployed, as it gradually reduces its presence across the southern part of the country.
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With around 1.2 million Lebanese displaced by the conflict, thousands began streaming into the region, ignoring warnings from the Israeli and Lebanese military.
Few of the 50,000 Israelis who deserted their homes on the Israeli side of the border have returned, leaving villages crumbling and abandoned.
Around three quarters of the Israeli border community of Menara has been damaged by fighting and is now largely deserted, with a few residents seen dashing in for belongings after the true came into effect.
Their dispassionate exodus marks a stark contrast with the rapacious desire of the Lebanese citizens to rebuild and reassert their dominion over the land.
AP
