On Monday, in southern Lebanon, Israeli forces shot at protesters, killing two and hurting 17, said health officials. This is the second day in a row of deadly clashes in the area. People trying to go back to their villages, still held by Israeli soldiers, were met with violence.
The clashes follow Sunday’s bloodshed, during which 24 protesters lost their lives and more than 130 were injured when Israeli troops fired on crowds breaching roadblocks near the border. The protests come amid growing frustration over the delayed implementation of a United States-brokered ceasefire agreement aimed at ending the 14-month conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
The November 27 ceasefire established two essential contours for Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters. Israel needed to evacuate from southern Lebanon until January 26 when Hezbollah needed to position its forces north of the Litani River’s border. Israeli military personnel chose to stay in more than a dozen villages beyond the original deadline which angered local residents longing to return to their homes.
The United States and Lebanon jointly pushed forward the timeframe for meeting ceasefire requirements into February 18th following extended delays. Extended-window anger erupted when many displaced residents who spent more than a year in temporary accommodations organized protests to access their homes at border villages.
Monday’s protests primarily happened in communities where tensions rose to their highest point. Among protesters who waved Lebanese flags while shouting demands for Israeli forces to leave the country’s territory. Israeli troops shot at civilians who attempted either to remove roadblocks and bypass controllable areas.
Southern Lebanese health officials validated the death toll which they reported included various patients with gunshot injuries among the wounded population. One healthcare professional working at a local hospital used the words “dire” to describe the condition. Our challenges to treat the mounting number of casualties remain out of our control.
The Lebanese government has denounced the violence, demanding that the international community pressure Israel to respect the cease-fire terms. “These actions are a clear violation of the agreement, as well as an act of negligence toward the safety and rights of our people,” a government spokesman said.
The United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) also expressed concern about the escalating violence and called for restraint on both sides. UN peacekeepers and the Lebanese army have deployed in some villages to curb the fighting, but not prevented the deadly clashes.
As the deadline of February 18 draws closer, there is uncertainty whether the terms of the ceasefire will ever be met. For the tens of thousands of residents forced to flee their homes, the wait for their return has taken intolerably long, as the resumption of the fighting deepens their suffering.
