The Israeli soldiers have killed at least 15 people and wounded more than 80 were wounded in southern Lebanon as hundreds of Lebanese tried to reach southern villages near the border with Israel by force.
Earlier, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) warned them to not enter the villages as the ceasefire’s 60-day deadline for Israel to withdraw its forces passed with troops remaining in parts of the country’s south.
Israel said the 60-day Lebanon ceasefire agreement had not been fully implemented, and it was unclear how many of its soldiers remained in Lebanon or how long they would stay.
The IDF attacked these Lebanese people as they attempted to enter locations that were still under occupation, the Lebanese Health Ministry said.
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It added that one of its soldiers had been killed and another wounded by Israeli fire.
However, the Israeli military said they fired “warning shots in multiple areas” of southern Lebanon, without specifying if people had been hit, adding that they have apprehended several people who according to them posed an “imminent threat”.
The IDF added that the suspects are currently being interrogated in the area.
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“The IDF remains deployed in southern Lebanon, continues to operate in accordance with the ceasefire understandings between Israel and Lebanon, and is monitoring Hezbollah’s attempts to return to southern Lebanon. The IDF will operate against any threat posed to IDF troops and the State of Israel,” the military said.
Israel accuses Hezbollah
The Israeli army has accused Hezbollah for its deadly attacks in southern Lebanon, saying that the group sent “rioters” into the area to cause trouble.
“Hezbollah does not care about Lebanon’s interests. The images coming from certain areas in southern Lebanon are evidence of this,” a statement said.
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Troops fired warning shots to “remove threats in a number of areas where suspects were identified approaching”.
“The one who sent the rioters is Hezbollah, which is trying to heat up the situation in order to strengthen its status and position,” it added.
On Saturday, the Lebanese army said it was ready to deploy its forces in the country’s south, accusing Israel of “procrastination” in its withdrawal under a ceasefire.
It said it was “ready to continue its deployment as soon as the Israeli enemy withdraws”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday said that Israel will not complete its full withdrawal from southern Lebanon by Sunday, which marks the 60-day deadline set under the ceasefire deal in November.
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(With inputs from agencies)