On the day Israeli forces were due to withdraw under a ceasefire deal, Lebanese health officials reported that the Israeli army killed at least 15 people in the south.
At least 83 people were also wounded as the Israeli army opened fire when people tried to return to their homes, Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health said in a statement on Sunday.
The killings appear to be another violation of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah and mark the latest in a series of violent attacks that have occurred since it began in November.
The ceasefire brought a reduction in the number of daily attacks on Lebanon’s south, Bekaa Valley, and Beirut’s southern suburbs. However, Israeli forces have remained in south Lebanon to conduct demolishing operations in border villages.
Here’s a look at the situation in southern Lebanon on the last day of the ceasefire.
What are the terms of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire?
Under the terms of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire, Hezbollah agreed to pull back above the Litani River, which runs across south Lebanon, and Israel was supposed to pull all troops out of Lebanese territory over the 60-day period.
Once the Israeli military was out, United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) were to enter, followed by the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF).
Furthermore, the LAF is supposed to ensure that they are the only Lebanese armed presence in south Lebanon.
However, Israeli forces were still in the south on Sunday with both sides firing off blame as to why the terms of the ceasefire have not been followed. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said in recent days that the Israelis would hold on to certain points in Lebanon’s southeast.
When did the ceasefire expire?
Israeli forces were required to withdraw from Lebanon as the ceasefire expired at 02:00 GMT on Sunday.
Why is Israel refusing to withdraw from southern Lebanon?
A UN source told Al Jazeera on Friday that, while Israeli forces had withdrawn from large parts of the western and central areas of southern Lebanon, field data suggested they were preparing to retain points in the east.
Netanyahu blamed Lebanon for the delay, saying Hezbollah has not pulled back sufficiently from the border region. Lebanon denies the claim and has urged Israel to respect the deadline.
Israel also justified this by saying the LAF has not been quick enough in deploying to the entirety of the south. The LAF denied those claims, saying they are fully prepared to deploy.
UNIFIL, who has previously reported Israeli violations, has called on both sides to obey the terms of the ceasefire.
The Israeli Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported on Friday that Israel was asking US President Donald Trump’s new administration to extend the deadline, claiming the Lebanese army has deployed too slowly to the south and allowed Hezbollah to regroup.
How many times has Israel violated the ceasefire agreement since November 27?
According to investigations by media organizations and think tanks, Israel has violated the ceasefire agreement hundreds of times.
Al Jazeera’s Sanad agency monitored the region and noticed that Israel did not withdraw troops during the period but used the truce to reinforce military positions seized during previous combat operations.
Sanad verified more than 30 videos and images of documented ground incursions and aerial attacks by Israel inside Lebanon during the ceasefire.
There have been at least 660 incidents, according to Anadolu Agency, while the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a pro-Israel DC think tank, said Israel has committed at least 800 airspace violations since November 27.
The Israeli military also entered new areas it had been unable to penetrate before the ceasefire agreement and demolished numerous civilian homes. Sanad found that 4.5 square km (1.74 square miles) of land, primarily along frontline villages, were subject to demolishing and bulldozing by Israeli forces.
At least 90 people in Lebanon were killed by the Israeli military between the ceasefire and early December, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry.
What has Lebanon’s government said?
The country’s leaders have called for Israel to respect the terms of the agreement and for citizens to trust in the Lebanese Army.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who is himself from southern Lebanon, sent a message to the residents of the area urging them to trust the army and to remain calm.
“Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial unity are non-negotiable, and I am following this issue at the highest levels to ensure your rights and dignity,” he said in a statement.
These sentiments were echoed by Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, who said he has full confidence in the LAF to protect Lebanon’s sovereignty and return residents to the south. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, also from southern Lebanon, called on the international community to pressure Israel to withdraw from occupied Lebanese territory.
Hezbollah has not put out a public statement, but Hassan Fadlallah, a parliamentarian linked to the group, appeared on local television station Al-Jadeed to praise people pushing into their southern villages. Hezbollah has so far not presented a military response.
Due to the cutting of its supply lines in Syria with the fall of the al-Assad regime, “Hezbollah’s military capabilities and regional influence have been diminished, leaving it more vulnerable to Israeli demands,” Imad Salamey, a political scientist at the Lebanese American University in Beirut, said.
What has been the international reaction?
On January 25, French President Emmanuel Macron spoke to his Lebanese counterpart, Joseph Aoun, and stressed the need for Israel to abide by the ceasefire agreement’s terms of withdrawal.
The UN’s special coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Passchaert, and UNIFIL’s head of mission, Aroldo Lazaro, released a joint statement saying the “timelines envisaged in the November Understanding have not been met” and urged displaced communities to “exercise caution”.
During a visit a week earlier, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasised the need for Israel’s military to withdraw.
Have Lebanese civilians been allowed to return to the region?
Thousands of Lebanese have returned to their homes in the south since November 27. In the hours after the ceasefire came into effect, tens of thousands of people headed south and visited their lands and homes.
However, an Israeli military spokesman declared a no-go zone across many villages in southern Lebanon. He warned against the return to prominent villages such as Shebaa, al-Habbariyeh, Marjayoun, Arnoun, Yohmor, Qantara, Chaqra, Braachit, Yatar, and al-Mansouri due to them being declared “restricted zones”.
On Saturday, the day before the ceasefire was to conclude, messages circulated amongst southerners who called for groups of people to gather near villages on Sunday morning and march towards them.
A member of Lebanon’s civil defence forces stationed near the southern town of Meiss el-Jabal told Al Jazeera early Sunday that Israeli tanks were still blocking the road and people were not being allowed through.
Israel, which claimed Hezbollah was behind the groups of residents assembling, opened fire on people moving towards their villages, though some villagers were able to push into their towns and were followed by the LAF.
What will happen next?
The Lebanese Army has constructed checkpoints at many points near southern villages to try and manage the situation. The Army also entered certain villages, as did some villagers.
Videos on social media circulated of residents standing face to face with Israeli tanks or soldiers in some areas, while in others, they were filmed fleeing as gunfire was heard in the background.
Some villagers have been seen waving Hezbollah, or their ally Amal, flags and others carried images of the late Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah.
As for Israel, Salamey, the political scientist, says its decision not to leave represents its long-term strategy to reshape the political and military landscape of Lebanon so as to “neutralise any threats emanating from a post-Syria Hezbollah”.
“This reflects a broader vision of ensuring Israel’s security and influence in the region while preventing Hezbollah from regaining its former strength,” he said.