Israel and Hizbollah exchange accusations of truce violations

The Israeli military said its air force struck a facility used by Hizbollah to store mid-range rockets in southern Lebanon on Thursday, after both sides accused each other of breaching a ceasefire that aims to halt over a year of fighting.

Israel said it also opened fire on Thursday towards what it called "suspects" with vehicles arriving at several areas in the southern zone, saying it was a breach of the truce with Hizbollah, which came into effect on Wednesday.

Hizbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah in turn accused Israel of violating the deal. "The Israeli enemy is attacking those returning to the border villages," Fadlallah told reporters, adding "there are violations today by Israel, even in this form."

The exchange of accusations highlighted the fragility of the ceasefire, which was brokered by the United States and France to end the conflict, fought in parallel with the Gaza war. The truce lasts for 60 days in the hope of reaching a permanent cessation of hostilities.

Israel's airstrike on Thursday was the first since the truce took effect on Wednesday morning. Lebanese security sources and the Al Jadeed broadcaster said it took place near Baysariyah, north of the Litani River.

The ceasefire deal stipulates that unauthorised military facilities south of the Litani River should be dismantled, but does not mention military facilities north of the river.

Earlier, Israeli tank fire hit five towns and some agricultural fields in southern Lebanon, state media and Lebanese security sources said, saying at least two people were wounded.

All of the areas lie within 2km of the Blue Line demarcating the border between Lebanon and Israel, in an area the Israeli military has announced as a no-go zone along the border, even after the deal was agreed.

Lebanese families displaced from their homes near the southern border have tried to return to check on their properties. But Israeli troops remain stationed within Lebanese territory in towns along the border and Reuters reporters heard surveillance drones flying over parts of southern Lebanon.

The Israeli military on Thursday renewed a curfew restricting the movement of residents of southern Lebanon south of the Litani river between 5pm and 7am.

The agreement, a rare diplomatic feat in a region racked by conflict, ended the deadliest confrontation between Israel and the Hizbollah group in years. Israeli strikes on Lebanon have killed at least 3,961 people and injured 16,520 others since October 2023, the Lebanese health ministry said on Thursday. The figures do not differentiate between civilians and combatants.

Under the ceasefire terms, Israeli forces can take up to 60 days to withdraw from southern Lebanon but neither side can launch offensive operations.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu waged the offensive against Hezbollah, saying Israelis in the north of the country should be able to return after being evacuated because of rocket fire from Lebanon.

Some 60,000 people evacuated from homes in the north have still not been directed to return.

Now, after a ceasefire, Lebanese are returning to their homes and viewing the damage. In Beirut's southern suburbs, an area known as Dahiyeh, entire blocks in some areas are reduced to fields of shattered concrete where high-rise buildings once stood. Associated Press video caught the moment when a screeching rocket smashed into an apartment in Beirut last month, sending out a a plume of fire and sparks.

In the southern city of Tyre, a towering bank of black and white smoke rose from the heart of downtown like a storm front and drifted over the Mediterranean Sea after missiles hit. In the southern village of Flawiyeh, a car was left flipped onto its hood amid a grove of trees from the force of a strike.

The Israeli strikes were heaviest in cities, towns and villages around southern Lebanon and in the southern suburbs of Beirut, where Hizbollah has the strongest presence. But for the first time in years, central Beirut was also regularly shaken by explosions.

More than 1.2 million Lebanese fled their homes during more than a year of fighting — as did tens of thousands of Israelis on their side of the border.

Reuters