The Israeli military issued new warnings to residents on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border on Friday, advising them against returning to their homes as the fragile U.S.-brokered cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah appeared to largely hold, despite another Israeli strike in southern Lebanon.
A list of more than 60 towns in southern Lebanon was released by the military, indicating areas that remain off-limits to civilians, including significant centers such as Bint Jbeil, Marjeyoun, and Naqoura, the latter being the location of the U.N. peacekeeping force. The southern region of Lebanon has been a focal point of the ongoing conflict.
The military spokesman stated, “The Israeli military does not intend to target you and therefore you are prohibited at this stage from returning to your homes. Anyone who moves south of this line puts himself in danger.”
The timeline for when the hundreds of thousands of displaced Lebanese may return to their homes remains uncertain. The cease-fire agreement, which took effect Wednesday, outlines a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon over a period of 60 days.
In his first address since the truce, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem claimed that the war with Israel, which has lasted almost 14 months, had been a victory for the Iran-backed militia. He stated, “We are looking at a great victory,” asserting that Hezbollah had prevented its destruction and the weakening of its resistance.
However, many Lebanese may be skeptical of his claims, as Hezbollah had to abandon its original goal of forcing Israel to cease its campaign against Hamas in Gaza. Additionally, the Israeli offensive has resulted in the destruction of entire communities.
The Israeli military conducted another airstrike in southern Lebanon on Friday, targeting what it described as a mobile rocket platform belonging to Hezbollah. This followed a previous strike on a rocket storage facility in the region.
Reports from Lebanon’s state-run news agency indicated that the Israeli military was enforcing restrictions on returning to border towns through gunfire and shelling. Israeli tanks were reported to have shelled a building in Burj al-Moulouk and were seen moving into Khiam, where two journalists were reportedly injured by Israeli fire earlier in the week.
The Israeli military did not comment on these reports. Verified images of tanks near Khiam circulated on social media on Friday.
A video aired by Lebanese broadcasters showed a man in Khiam claiming he and others had received “permission” from U.N. peacekeepers and the Lebanese military to be in the area. However, moments later, gunfire erupted, prompting him to seek cover. The extent of any injuries remained unclear.
The Lebanese military has also cautioned civilians against returning to southern border towns, and a spokesman for the U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon stated that it does not have the authority to grant permission for presence in that area. This has led to confusion among Lebanese regarding safe areas for return.
The Israeli military issued a broader warning to residents in Israeli border towns, which have been targets of Hezbollah rocket and drone attacks, indicating that the area, evacuated by tens of thousands, remains under a “general closure.” They warned of the potential need to intercept aerial munitions, heightening the risk of shrapnel falling into evacuated towns.
One of the towns designated as off-limits was Ain Ebel, a Christian village near the border. A resident who fled to Beirut in October returned on Friday despite warnings, finding his home still intact but deciding against bringing his family back yet due to safety concerns.
Israel intensified its airstrikes in Lebanon in September and subsequently launched a ground invasion in response to nearly a year of Hezbollah rocket fire into northern Israel, which Hezbollah claimed was in solidarity with Hamas.
This conflict has had devastating consequences for both Lebanon and Hezbollah, marking the deadliest conflict in Lebanon since the civil war ended in 1990 and displacing approximately a quarter of the population. The fighting has resulted in approximately 3,800 Lebanese and 100 Israeli fatalities, according to official reports.
Under the cease-fire agreement initiated at 4 a.m. on Wednesday, both parties are set to observe a 60-day truce while Israel gradually withdraws and Hezbollah relocates its fighters north of the Litani River, establishing a buffer zone to be monitored by U.N. peacekeepers and the Lebanese military.
However, the agreement does not specify when civilians will be allowed to return home. Following the cease-fire, tens of thousands in Lebanon began returning to devastated communities in the Dahiya area and southern and eastern regions.
Past cease-fire agreements, such as the one that ended the 2006 conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, were never fully implemented.
Israeli military officials emphasized the importance of enforcing the cease-fire, with the northern command's leader instructing troops to “enable and enforce” the agreement, stating, “We will enforce it aggressively.”
Meanwhile, the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues, with an attack on an Israeli bus in the West Bank reported on Friday, resulting in injuries to several individuals, three critically. The Israeli military confirmed that four soldiers were lightly wounded and that the assailant was neutralized.