One killed and two injured in Israeli attacks on south Lebanon

The attacks come a day after Israel withdrew from most border areas under a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah

Returning residents inspect the ruins of the village of Kfar Kila, southern Lebanon, as Israeli troops withdrew from most of the area. Reuters

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One person was killed in an Israeli drone attack on a vehicle in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, Lebanese state media reported, a day after Israeli troops withdrew from most of the border areas under a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah.

The attack took place in the Lebanese border town of Aita Al Shabab in Bint Jbeil district in the governorate of Nabtieh, Lebanon's National News Agency said. Two people were also wounded by Israeli gunfire in the town of Wazzani.

The Israeli army confirmed in a statement that it struck the area. “An Israeli Air Force aircraft operated to remove a threat with a strike on a Hezbollah operative identified handling weaponry”.

A 60-day ceasefire, brokered by the US and France, was signed between Israel and Hezbollah on November 27 after clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters turned into a full-scale war late last year, killing thousands and driving hundreds of thousands from their homes. Israel was supposed to complete its withdrawal in January, but the deadline was extended to February 18.

Israel holds the upper hand in the ceasefire deal, a western diplomat told The National on Tuesday, having signed a side agreement with the US. That deal, which serves as a guarantee for Israel, allows it to strike at any perceived Hezbollah threats in Lebanese territory.

Under the deal, Hezbollah is supposed to pull back north of the Litani River and dismantle its military infrastructure in the south where the group enjoys political backing. The deal also requires the Lebanese army to enter the border region.

Lebanon’s government has since said the state should be the sole bearer of arms and has pledged to regain “all Lebanese territory”.

Israel announced just before the deadline that it would keep troops in “five strategic points” near the border. The army said they were hilltops overlooking the frontier where troops would remain to “make sure there's no immediate threat”.

The five locations are Hammams Hill, Awaida Hill, Jabal Balat, Labouna and Al Aziyah. These high-altitude spots give Israeli forces a broad vantage point over the border region.

The Lebanese presidency, in a statement on Tuesday, said that Lebanon would consider any remaining Israeli presence on Lebanese land an occupation. Lebanon has the right to use any means to ensure an Israeli withdrawal, it added.

As the Israeli attacks continue, fears have been growing that Israel would continue its war on Lebanon under the pretext of eradicating Hezbollah, even after the ceasefire takes place.

“The civil war lasted for 15 years. This war could last longer even if a new resolution [ceasefire] is reached,” a senior Lebanese politician told The National previously.

The conflict with Israel, which began when Hezbollah opened fire on October 8, 2023 in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas, displaced tens of thousands of Israelis from northern Israel and more than a million people in Lebanon.

Lebanon's army said Wednesday its units were “completing their deployment in all southern border towns” where Israeli troops had withdrawn. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun told US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz in a phone call that Israel needed to fully withdraw from south Lebanon, a statement from the presidency said.

“It is necessary to end the Israeli occupation of the remaining points and to complete implementation” of the ceasefire agreement, said Mr Aoun.

Lebanon's civil defence said that its teams removed 11 bodies from several border towns and villages, including seven from Mais Al Jabal.