Israel Defense Forces soldiers stationed in Southern Lebanon arrested four Hezbollah terrorists on Wednesday, including a local commander, who entered the border area in violation of the ceasefire agreement.
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed the IDF not to allow the population to enter the area of the villages near the border in Southern Lebanon, in accordance with the first phase of implementing the ceasefire outline,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon.
The PMO stressed that the IDF will continue to “act with a heavy hand against any violation” of the deal by the Iranian-backed terrorist group.
IDF soldiers remained in their positions in Southern Lebanon after the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon took effect at 4 a.m. on Wednesday, ending nearly 14 months of cross-border hostilities.
An Israeli security official cited by the Associated Press on Wednesday would not say when the IDF withdrawal would start but added that it would be completed during the 60-day period laid out in the ceasefire agreement.
“We need to see the mechanism is working,” the unnamed defense official reiterated. “It’s a gradual agreement. It’s a gradual withdrawal.”
He said the pace of the withdrawal and the possible return of Lebanese noncombatants to villages near the Israeli border would depend on whether the agreement is implemented and enforced by all sides.
Civilian movement
IDF Arabic-language Spokesperson Col. Avichay Adraee in a statement on Wednesday afternoon ordered Lebanese citizens: “For your safety and the safety of your family, you are prohibited from moving south toward the villages that the IDF has ordered to be evacuated or toward IDF forces in the area. Any movement toward these areas exposes you to danger.
“We inform you that starting from 5 p.m. (17:00) until tomorrow morning at 7 a.m. (07:00), it is absolutely forbidden to travel south of the Litani River. Whoever is north of the Litani River is prohibited from moving south. Whoever is south of the Litani River must remain where he is,” the statement continued.
“We remind you that the IDF is still deployed in its positions in southern Lebanon in accordance with the terms of the ceasefire agreement, and our forces will deal firmly with any movement that violates this agreement,” Adraee said.
Residents of Southern Lebanon were trying to return to their villages in the hours after the ceasefire took effect. However, the Lebanese military on Wednesday morning said that the residents should delay returning until Israeli forces have left the area.
First violation?
The IDF reported the first possible violation by Hezbollah within hours after the truce came into effect. Troops spotted a vehicle carrying several suspects in a restricted area. Soldiers opened fire to prevent the vehicle from advancing, and the suspects fled the scene.
Katz said in a statement that “due to the entry of Hezbollah members into Kfar Kila,” he ordered the military “to act forcefully and without compromises against phenomena of this kind.”
He emphasized that Hezbollah terrorists “must be hit” if they enter prohibited areas of Southern Lebanon and endanger the remaining Israeli troops.
Hezbollah has launched some 16,000 rockets, missiles and drones at Israel since joining the war in support of Hamas on Oct. 8, 2023, a day after the Gaza-based terrorist group’s massacre in southern Israel.
Nearly 70,000 residents of Israel’s north have been internally displaced due to the attacks from Lebanon. During “Operation Northern Arrows,” 45 civilians and 79 troops were killed, according to data from the Alma Research and Education Center, which monitors the northern fronts.
As part of the ceasefire, Jerusalem promised to gradually redeploy from Southern Lebanon, where it has been operating since early October, reaching as far as the Litani on Tuesday for the first time since 2000.
As the IDF withdraws, Lebanese government forces are to enter these areas and ensure that Hezbollah retreats. The U.S. and France are to monitor compliance, with regular updates from diplomats and military officials.
