By Yusuf Alioglu
ISTANBUL (AA) - Israel has committed several violations of the cease-fire agreement with Lebanon since it took effect early on Wednesday, Lebanese authorities have said.
There have been at least 18 violations, with 13 on Wednesday alone, according to a tally by Anadolu, compiled through Israeli army announcements and news sources including Lebanon’s National News Agency.
Violations on Wednesday:
- Israeli drone strike hits a car in the town of Markaba, Marjayoun district of Nabatieh governorate, injuring two people. Israeli Army Radio says the car was targeted to "remove it from a prohibited area"
- Israeli warplanes attack a site in southern Lebanon, which the army claimed belonged to Hezbollah and contained rockets
- Israeli tank fire hits the towns of Kafr Shuba and Al-Wazzani in Hasbaiyya district of Nabatieh governorate
- Israeli artillery shells the towns of Taybeh and Khiam, and the Marjayoun plain in Marjayoun district
- Israeli artillery shells hills of the town of Haltah in Hasbaiyya district, and the Ras al-Zaher area in the town of Mays al-Jabal, Marjayoun district
- Israeli drone flies over towns in the Tyre district of South governorate, and the town of Bint Jbeil in Nabatieh governorate
- Israeli artillery shells the town of Aita al-Shaab, and the city of Bint Jbeil in Bint Jbeil district
Violations on Thursday:
- Israeli army fires at journalists in the town of Khiam, Marjayoun district while they were covering the return of residents and the Israeli withdrawal from the town, injuring two
- Israeli artillery fires shells near the Fatima Gate in the town of Kafr Kila in Marjayoun district. The towns of Odaisseh and Khiam also targeted
- Israeli army arrests four people in southern Lebanon, claiming they approached Israeli forces in the area. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says they belonged to Hezbollah and that one of them was a local leader
Under the terms of the cease-fire, Israel will withdraw its forces south of the Blue Line de facto border in a phased manner, while the Lebanese army will deploy its forces in southern Lebanon within 60 days.
Implementation of the agreement is to be overseen by the US and France, but details on enforcement mechanisms remain unclear.
More than 3,960 people were killed and more than 16,500 injured in Israeli attacks in Lebanon and over 1 million displaced since October last year, according to Lebanese health authorities.
*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala