Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire: Why is Israel still in southern Lebanon?

According to Lebanese health officials, the Israeli army killed at least 15 people in the south of the country on the day Israeli forces were scheduled to leave in accordance with a ceasefire agreement.

According to a statement released on Sunday, Lebanon’s ministry of public health said at least 83 people were also hurt when the Israeli army opened fire on residents who attempted to return to their homes.

The killings are the most recent violent attacks to take place since the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, which have reportedly started in November.

The ceasefire brought a reduction in the number of daily attacks on Lebanon’s south, Bekaa Valley, and Beirut’s southern suburbs. Israeli forces have continued to support Israeli operations in south Lebanon.

On the final day of the ceasefire, let’s take a look at the state of southern Lebanon.

What are the terms of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire?

Hezbollah agreed to withdraw its forces from Lebanese territory during the terms of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire, and Israel was supposed to do so over the course of 60 days.

The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) were the first to join the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which was established once the Israeli military left.

Furthermore, the LAF is supposed to ensure that they are the only Lebanese armed presence in south Lebanon.

Israeli forces were still present in the south on Sunday, and both sides pointed fingers at the violators for not observing the ceasefire’s terms. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had previously stated that Israel would maintain control over some areas of Lebanon’s southeast.

When did the ceasefire expire?

As the ceasefire came to an end at 02:00 GMT on Sunday, Israeli forces had to leave Lebanon.

Why does Israel refuse to leave southern Lebanon?

Field data suggested that Israeli forces were preparing to retain positions in the east, according to a UN source who spoke to Al Jazeera on Friday.

Netanyahu blamed Lebanon for the delay, saying Hezbollah&nbsp, has not pulled back sufficiently from the border region. Israel has been urged to respect the deadline by Lebanon, which denies the claim.

Israel also argued that the LAF had not deployed to the entire south in sufficient time. &nbsp, 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.

Israel reportedly requested from the new US administration, according to an article in the Israeli Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper on Friday, that it had been asking for an extension of the deadline because Hezbollah had reorganized in the south.

Since November 27, how many times has Israel violated the ceasefire?

Israel has repeatedly violated the ceasefire agreement, according to investigations by media outlets and think tanks.

Israel used the truce to reinforce military positions that had been taken over during previous combat operations, according to Al Jazeera’s Sanad agency, who was in charge of monitoring the region.

Sanad reviewed more than 30 videos and images of Israeli ground incursions and aerial attacks 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.

Prior to the ceasefire agreement, Israel’s military had to invade fresh regions and destroy 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 Lebanese Army should be trusted by the country’s leaders and Israel must adhere to the terms of the deal.

Joseph Aoun, the president of Lebanon and a native of southern Lebanon, wrote to the area’s residents to plead with them to trust the army and maintain 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.

Nawaf Salam, the prime minister of Lebanon, expressed similar sentiments when he said he had full confidence in the LAF to defend its sovereignty and bring back residents to the south. Nabih Berri, the speaker of the Parlement from southern Lebanon, demanded that Israel resign 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. There hasn’t been a military response from Hezbollah so far.

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.

Are civilians in the area able to return?

Since November 27, thousands of Lebanese have returned to their southern neighborhoods. Tens of thousands of people traveled to their homes and lands in the hours following the ceasefire’s implementation.

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 set to end, southerners began to circulate messages calling for people to march toward villages in the area on Sunday morning.

Israeli tanks were still obstructing the road, according to a member of Lebanon’s civil defense forces, and people were being denied entry, according to a source close to Meiss el-Jabal, which is in southern Lebanon.

Israel opened fire on residents who were gathering in their villages, even though some villagers were able to enter their towns and be followed by the LAF, which claimed Hezbollah was responsible for the gathering.

What will happen next?

In an effort to control the situation, the Lebanese Army has set up checkpoints close to southern villages. The Army also entered certain villages, as did some villagers.

Residents were photographed escaping in some areas while standing face-to-face with Israeli tanks or soldiers, according to social media videos that were circulated.

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”.

Source: Aljazeera