Israeli Army Pushes Deeper Into South Lebanon as Ceasefire Violations Intensify
By The Cradle
Israeli forces continued to violate the ceasefire with Lebanon on 29 November, advancing on the southern towns of Markaba and Khiam and opening fire at citizens during a funeral – following continuous violations since the agreement went into effect two days ago.
“Israeli forces advanced today to the town square of Markaba, which they were unable to enter during the days of the confrontations, and occupied it now during the ceasefire, and the [Israeli] army is carrying out bulldozing operations and destroying roads. Civilians were present in the town yesterday,” Al Manar correspondent Ali Shoeib reported.
Preliminary reports of two citizens being kidnapped by Israeli troops were later refuted.
Al Manar’s correspondent clarified that “no Lebanese citizens were abducted in Khiam; what happened is that Israeli forces opened fire at citizens during a funeral.”
The correspondent also reported that Israeli troops launched an operation on Friday to expand their presence towards the Khiam cemetery. He said the forces are “exploiting the ceasefire” to carry out bulldozing and demolition operations in areas they were unable to enter during the ground war against Hezbollah.
Israeli forces also uprooted olive trees at a grove in the southern town of Kfar Kila.
An Israeli airstrike targeted the Saida District of southern Lebanon on 28 November, marking the deepest attack on Lebanon since the ceasefire took effect early on Wednesday. The strike on Saida came after the Israeli army carried out several artillery and bombing attacks on the south of Lebanon.
A day earlier, the Israeli army opened fire on a group of Lebanese journalists in Khiam, and attacked displaced residents in other towns as they tried to return to their homes. Israel has threatened displaced Lebanese citizens and warned them against returning.
The Lebanese army has told residents, for their own safety, not to enter villages still occupied by Israeli troops.
Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah said in an interview with MTV News on 28 November that the resistance will not “sit and watch” as Israel continues to violate the ceasefire. He added that “we are in an experiment now,” signaling that it is time to determine whether or not the Lebanese army is capable of repelling Israel and stopping its violations.
He stressed that there is no issue between Hezbollah and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), adding that Hezbollah welcomes its deployment across all of south Lebanon.
He vowed that the resistance will confront Israel should it decide to go to war against Lebanon again.