Israel bombs south Lebanon's Khiam a day after its troops withdrew from the town

US military general oversees soldiers leaving the town of Khiam

Destroyed buildings in the southern Lebanese town of Khiam, near the border with Israel. AFP

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Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati accused Israel of breaching its ceasefire with Hezbollah after bombing Khiam, less than 24 hours after Israeli soldiers withdrew from the strategic town.

The bombing led to multiple deaths and injuries.

“These continued violations are the responsibility of the monitoring committee tasked with supervising the implementation of the ceasefire, which is required to address what happened immediately,” Mr Mikati said, referencing the US-led panel charged with overseeing the truce.

Israel's military had begun withdrawing from south Lebanon on Wednesday, more than two weeks after a US-mediated ceasefire was agreed with Iran-backed Hezbollah.

US Central Command said its leader Gen Michael Kurilla was on site to oversee the withdrawal on Wednesday. The Lebanese army and the UN peacekeeping mission in the country, Unifil, have replaced the Israelis in Khiam, a town which witnessed some of the most severe fighting in the war.

“This is an important first step in the implementation of a lasting cessation of hostilities and lays the foundation for continued progress,” Gen Kurilla said.

The Israeli military said its 7th Brigade had “concluded their mission in Khiam in southern Lebanon”. Other Israeli units remain posted in southern Lebanon and have until late January to leave Lebanese territory.

Mr Mikati said the stationing of Lebanese troops “in the Khiam and Marjayoun areas today represents a fundamental step towards strengthening the army's deployment in the south, in implementation of the ceasefire decision”.

“We salute the army's efforts” to establish “stability in the south”, Mr Mikati said.

The Lebanese army said it would begin engineering operations to remove unexploded ordnance from Khiam. They ordered civilians to stay away from the town while the work was carried out. Local authorities said the army has been deployed to five locations in the town. It is also clearing the rubble that was blocking the road from Marjayoun to Khiam.

Israel sent tanks and troops to Khiam in a bid to take the strategically important area, while repeatedly bombing the town. Its military engaged in ground battles with Hezbollah fighters but was never able to fully control the town.

The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah has been holding, albeit tenuously. Israel has been accused by Lebanon of breaching the truce dozens of times, while Hezbollah has fired warning shots into an empty field in the Israel-occupied Shebaa Farms.

Israeli drones on Thursday could be heard over Beirut after they briefly disappeared after the ceasefire was reached.

As part of the truce, the Lebanese army and Unifil will post forces in southern Lebanon as the Israeli army withdraws over 60 days.

Hezbollah is also meant to withdraw its forces north of the Litani River, about 30km from the border with Israel and dismantle its military infrastructure in southern Lebanon.

US Gen Jasper Jeffers is the co-chairman of a five-member committee overseeing the ceasefire and dealing with any breaches. The other representatives are France, Israel, Unifil and the Lebanese army.

On Thursday Amnesty International released a report on four separate Israeli attacks during its war on Lebanon which killed at least 49 civilians, calling for them to be investigated as potential war crimes.

“Israel has an appalling track record of carrying out unlawful air strikes in Gaza and past wars in Lebanon taking a devastating toll on civilians,” said Amnesty International’s Erika Guevara Rosas, senior director for Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns.

“The latest evidence of unlawful air strikes during Israel’s most recent offensive in Lebanon underscores the urgent need for all states, especially the United States, to suspend arms transfers to Israel due to the risk they will be used to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law,” she added.

Hezbollah and Israel fought a low-intensity war beginning in October last year but it expanded in scope and ferocity from September when Israel massively increased its attacks and invaded south Lebanon. More than 4,000 people have been killed in Lebanon, large parts of the country have been reduced to rubble and Hezbollah's senior leadership obliterated.