Israel says it won’t complete its withdrawal from Lebanon by Sunday

Israeli forces in southern Lebanon opened fire at protesters demanding their withdrawal in line with a ceasefire agreement, killing at least 15 people and injuring more than 80, on Sunday, according to Lebanese health officials. The victims include two women and a Lebanese army soldier, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

Demonstrators, some carrying Hezbollah flags, attempted to enter villages along the border to protest Israel’s failure to withdraw by the 60-day deadline outlined in the November ceasefire that paused the Israel-Hezbollah conflict.

Israel has justified its continued presence, claiming that the Lebanese army has not fully deployed to the area to prevent Hezbollah’s return. However, the Lebanese army has stated it cannot deploy until Israeli forces withdraw.

The Israeli military attributed the protests to Hezbollah, claiming in a statement that troops fired warning shots to “remove threats” from individuals approaching their positions. Several suspects were reportedly detained and are under questioning.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun spoke up on the matter, emphasising Lebanon’s sovereignty and urging restraint. “Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are non-negotiable,” Aoun said, calling for trust in the Lebanese Armed Forces to protect civilians.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, whose Amal Movement party is allied with Hezbollah and who acted as a mediator between the militant group and the US during ceasefire negotiations, described the violence as a “clear and urgent call for the international community to act immediately and compel Israel to withdraw from occupied Lebanese territories.”

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Avichay Adraee, an Arabic-language spokesperson for the Israeli military, posted on social media platform X accusing Hezbollah of sending “rioters” and “trying to escalate the situation to distract from its position and status in Lebanon and the Arab world.”

On Sunday morning, he urged residents of the border area to refrain from returning to their villages.

UN officials, including Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert and UNIFIL mission head Lt. Gen. Aroldo Lázaro, urged both sides to honour the ceasefire agreement. They warned that continued violence jeopardises fragile security in the area.

“The timelines envisaged in the November Understanding have not been met,” the UN statement read, stressing the need for the withdrawal of Israeli forces, the removal of unauthorised weapons south of the Litani River, and the redeployment of the Lebanese army.

On Sunday, UNIFIL reported escalating tensions near the Blue Line (a border demarcation between Lebanon and Israel established by the UN in 2000), with protests and gunfire disrupting peacekeeping operations. Journalists embedded with peacekeepers described hearing gunshots near Mays al-Jabal and witnessing protesters gathering close to their base.

The war displaced over 1 million Lebanese, with more than 112,000 still unable to return home. UNIFIL has called for the safe and dignified return of displaced civilians on both sides of the border.