Israel launches assault on southern Lebanese town, defying ceasefire agreement
The Israeli Defense Forces have persisted in carrying out military operations in Lebanon, targeting residential areas in the southern region, despite a ceasefire agreement with the Hezbollah resistance movement.
According to a report by Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) on Monday, Israeli forces engaged in machine gun fire targeting residential areas in the town of Naqoura, which lies along the border with the Israeli-occupied regions.
This marks another instance in which the Tel Aviv administration has violated the ceasefire that was implemented last week.
Israel has reportedly agreed to a ceasefire with Hezbollah after enduring significant losses over nearly 14 months of conflict, during which it was unable to meet its strategic aims in Lebanon.
In a bid to achieve lasting peace, a truce agreement was implemented early Wednesday morning. The ceasefire, set to endure for 60 days, aims to pave the way for a permanent end to hostilities.
As part of the agreement, an international monitoring committee led by the United States is responsible for supervising the enforcement of the ceasefire.
On Sunday, France, a participating member of the monitoring group, reported that Israel breached the ceasefire on 52 occasions. Among these incidents was a Saturday attack that resulted in the death of three Lebanese civilians.
According to reports from Israel’s Ynet news site, which cited French officials, Israel has conducted its attacks without consulting the truce committee. This unilateral action by the Israeli regime is said to potentially jeopardize the delicate ceasefire currently in place.
In a recent statement, Israeli authorities announced that the monitoring agency is expected to reach full operational capacity by either Monday or Tuesday.
Israeli military operations in Lebanon have resulted in the deaths of nearly 4,000 individuals, the displacement of over one million people, and inflicted damages exceeding $8.5 billion, as reported by the World Bank.
In October 2023, Hezbollah initiated a support front for Palestinians in Gaza, mere days following the onset of Israel’s military operations against the blockaded region. The group launched a series of retaliatory attacks targeting Israeli positions within the occupied territories.
