Beirut – At least two people have been killed in the latest Israeli attack in southern Lebanon. The strike from Tel Aviv occurred during a ceasefire that has been in effect since last week, ending intense fighting between the Israeli military and Hezbollah, which is based in Lebanon.
The ceasefire, which was implemented on November 27, stipulated that Israel would not carry out offensive military operations against civilian, military, or other state targets in Lebanon. Meanwhile, the Lebanese authorities, according to the ceasefire agreement, were required to prevent any armed groups, including Hezbollah, from launching operations against Israel.
In recent days, the ceasefire has appeared increasingly fragile, with violations occurring one after another. Both Lebanon and Israel have accused each other of breaching the ceasefire, and on Monday (December 2), the Beirut authorities stated that these violations have escalated into fatal consequences.
In the latest report from Lebanon’s Ministry of Health, as quoted by Al Arabiya on Tuesday (December 3, 2024), at least one person was killed by an Israeli airstrike that hit the city of Marjayoun in southern Lebanon, about 10 kilometers from the Israeli border. Another fatality was a member of the Lebanese security forces, who was killed in an Israeli attack on the Nabatieh region, located about 12 kilometers from the border.
Lebanese security forces have called the Israeli attack a “blatant violation” of the ongoing ceasefire. Separately, the Lebanese military reported that an Israeli drone strike hit a military bulldozer in northeastern Lebanon, near the Syrian border, injuring one Lebanese soldier.
There has been no official statement from the Israeli military regarding the deaths in Marjayoun and Nabatieh. However, the Israeli military did release a statement claiming that its forces attacked military vehicles operating near Hezbollah military infrastructure in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, and other military vehicles near the border with Syria.
In its statement, the Israeli military acknowledged that one Lebanese soldier was injured in one of its strikes and said the incident is under review.
Hezbollah Accuses Israel of Violating Ceasefire
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally and the main negotiator for Beirut in the ceasefire talks, reported that Lebanon has recorded at least 54 violations of the ceasefire by Israel so far.
In a statement released by his office, Berri urged the ceasefire monitoring committee to “immediately” begin working and to “compel” Israel to halt its violations and withdraw its forces from Lebanese territory.
The ceasefire agreement stipulated that monitoring mechanisms by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), led by the United States, would “monitor, verify, and assist in ensuring the enforcement” of the ceasefire.
“The aggressive actions taken by the Israeli occupation forces are a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement,” Berri said in his statement.
Israel Denies Violating Ceasefire in Lebanon
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar rejected accusations from the United States and France that Tel Aviv has violated the ceasefire terms in Lebanon.
“We have heard claims that Israel violated the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon. On the contrary! Israel is enforcing it as a response to Hezbollah’s violations, which demanded immediate action,” Saar emphasized in his statement.
Israeli local TV, Kan, and other Israeli media reported on Monday (December 2) that U.S. Special Envoy Amos Hochstein, who is mediating the ceasefire, had warned Israel about the alleged ceasefire violations.
