Three killed as residents of southern Lebanon defy Israeli orders not to return home
CNN — Three people were killed and 44 others injured by Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese government said, as residents of villages near the border defied orders by
Three people were killed and 44 others injured by Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese government said, as residents of villages near the border defied orders by Israel's military not to return to their homes.
The deaths come as a deadline expired Sunday for Israel to withdraw forces from the area, as part of a ceasefire agreement that ended months of conflict with Hezbollah.
Under the November ceasefire agreement, both Israeli and Hezbollah forces agreed to withdraw from southern Lebanon by January 26, the end of a 60-day period stipulated in the deal.
But Israel's government said Friday that the military would not withdraw all of its forces from southern Lebanon by Sunday's deadline, blaming Lebanon for failing to uphold its end of the agreement. The Lebanese army in turn accused Israel of 'procrastination.'
Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health said the Israeli military launched attacks on Lebanese citizens on Sunday attempting to enter towns still occupied by Israeli forces.
Video verified by CNN showed residents on foot in Kfar Kila, southern Lebanon, trying to return to their villages. Some were seen carrying Hezbollah flags, while others held images of militant fighters killed in the war.
It comes after Israel's military issued a fresh order on Sunday to residents of dozens of southern Lebanese villages not to return to their homes.
'Urgent!! A new reminder to the residents of southern Lebanon: Until further notice you are prohibited from moving south to the line of villages and their surroundings,' Avichay Adraee, Arabic-language spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), wrote on X.
The post included a map of southern Lebanon with an area along the border with Israel shaded red and a list of more than 60 villages residents were prohibited from accessing.
A man carries an injured person in Burj al-Muluk on Sunday.
Karamallah Daher/Reuters
'The Defense Forces do 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. Anyone who moves south of this line puts themselves at risk,' Adraee said.
CNN has contacted the Israeli military for comment.
Lebanon's president Joseph Aoun said he was 'monitoring this issue at the highest levels' in a statement.
'Lebanon's sovereignty and the unity of its territory are not subject to compromise,' he said and promised residents of the south he would 'ensure your rights and dignity.'
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