BEIRUT: At least two people were killed on Monday in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon, Lebanese authorities said, as a ceasefire ending more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah appeared increasingly fragile.

The truce, which came into effect early on Nov 27, stipulates that Israel will not carry out offensive military operations against civilian, military or other state targets in Lebanon, while Lebanon will prevent any armed groups, including Hezbollah, from carrying out operations against Israel.

Lebanon and Israel have already traded accusations of breaches, and on Monday Lebanon said the violations had turned deadly. One person was killed in an Israeli air attack on the southern Lebanese town of Marjayoun, about 10 km (six miles) from the border with Israel, Lebanon’s health ministry said.

Lebanon’s state security said an Israeli drone strike had killed a member of its force while he was on duty in Nabatieh, 12 km from the border. State security called it a “flagrant violation” of the truce.

The Lebanese army said an Israeli drone hit an army bulldozer in northeast Lebanon near the border with Syria, wounding one soldier. The Israeli military acknowledged that a Lebanese soldier was wounded in one of its attacks and said the incident was under review.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah said it carried out a “defensive warning strike” on an Israeli military position in the disputed Shebaa Farms area on Monday, citing repeated Israeli ceasefire violations including airstrikes and shelling in Lebanon.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel would respond “strongly” to the strike.

Lebanon’s parliament speaker, Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah and Beirut’s main interlocutor in the ceasefire talks, said Lebanon had logged at least 54 Israeli violations so far.

In a statement issued by his office, Berri urged the committee tasked with monitoring the ceasefire to “urgently” begin work, and to “oblige” Israel to halt its violations and withdraw troops from Lebanese land.

The ceasefire deal stipulates that a monitoring mechanism hosted by the United Nations peackeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and chaired by the United States would “monitor, verify and assist in ensuring enforcement” of the ceasefire. “The aggressive actions carried out by the Israeli occupation forces constitute a flagrant violation of the terms of the ceasefire agreement,” Berri said.

Public broadcaster Kan and other Israeli media outlets reported on Monday that US envoy Amos Hochstein, who brokered the ceasefire after weeks of shuttle diplomacy, had warned Israel against alleged violations. The Israeli government did not immediately comment on the reports.

Also on Monday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told Saar in a call of “the need for all sides to respect the ceasefire in Lebanon”, the foreign ministry said. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar rejected accusations that Israel had violated the truce.

Under the deal, Hezbollah must withdraw its fighters from areas south of the river, and dismantle its military infrastructure in the south. As part of the agreement, the Lebanese army and United Nations peacekeepers will deploy in southern Lebanon as the Israeli army withdraws over a period of 60 days.

‘Threats’

Under the truce, a committee involving France, UN peacekeepers, Israel, Lebanon and chaired by the United States is tasked with maintaining communication between various parties and ensuring violations are identified and dealt with to avoid any escalation.

“We ask the technical committee formed to monitor the implementation of this agreement where it stands on ongoing violations… that have exceeded 54 breaches,” Berri added, urging it to “oblige Israel to stop its violations and withdraw from territories it occupies”.

The official National News Agency also confirmed the person was killed in “a strike launched by an enemy drone… on a motorcycle” in the south Lebanon town of Marjayoun.

Published in Dawn, December 3rd, 2024