As thousands try to go home, the ceasefire in the middle of the country is put to the test

A fragile ceasefire in Lebanon and Gaza was tested on Sunday as Israeli forces killed scores of people in southern Lebanon, Lebanese officials said, while in Gaza, Israel prevented Palestinians from returning to their homes. and claimed to have violated the terms of Hamas. cessation of hostilities.

But at the end of the day in Gaza, Israel and Hamas said they had reached an agreement through mediators to resolve their conflict.

And the White House issued a statement saying that in Lebanon, the first 60-day ceasefire arrangement that required the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the southern part of the country on Sunday will be extended until February 18.

Negotiators hoped that the cease-fire in Lebanon, which was signed in November, would last for now, in order to bring stability to the troubled region. Thousands of Lebanese displaced by the war have flocked to the streets heading south, returning to their homes.

But as the first deadline for the withdrawal of Israeli troops and Hezbollah forces from southern Lebanon passed on Sunday, a different situation emerged. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said Israeli forces killed at least 22 people and wounded 120 in southern Lebanon, making Sunday the country’s deadliest day since the war ended in November.

The Israeli army said in a statement last Sunday that it had fired “warning shots to eliminate the threat” – a form that suggested the shots may have been more than just a warning. It said there were “dozens of rioters” in the area. The military also said that its troops had found a “vehicle with a Hezbollah flag” and that its troops were “working to eliminate the threat.”

In recent days, Israeli officials have expressed concern that Hezbollah is still active in southern Lebanon and doubt the Lebanese Army’s ability to control the group.

These claims could not be independently verified. The five-member committee overseeing the implementation of the cease-fire has not publicly released anything about Hezbollah’s compliance with the terms of the cease-fire.

The White House’s statement on Sunday did not specifically address Hezbollah or Israel’s military presence in southern Lebanon. It said that the governments of Lebanon, Israel and the United States will begin negotiations for the return of Lebanese prisoners captured after the October 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel that triggered a regional war.

There was no immediate comment from Israel, the Lebanese government or Hezbollah.

The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, warned in a statement on Sunday that “it is imperative to prevent the situation from deteriorating”. He called on the Israeli army not to shoot civilians, and the Lebanese to follow the instructions of the Lebanese army.
“Further violence could undermine the fragile security situation,” the statement said.

In a statement on Sunday evening, the Israeli army said it was “determined to continue operating according to the Israeli-Lebanon agreement, despite Hezbollah’s plans to return to southern Lebanon.” .”

Tens of thousands of Israelis who were displaced from their homes in northern Israel 15 months ago are reluctant to return, fearing cross-border attacks by Hezbollah.

In the Gaza Strip on Sunday, civilians displaced by the fighting were also prevented from returning to their homes. They were prevented from doing so by the Israeli military after Israeli authorities accused Hamas of violating the terms of a cease-fire agreement that took effect a week ago.

Under the terms of the first phase of a Gaza ceasefire agreed this month, Israel was expected to withdraw some of its forces and allow hundreds of thousands of displaced Gazans north after a second hostage and exchange. -prison on Saturday.

The Israeli government said Hamas violated the deal by failing to comply with an agreed order for the release of hostages and by failing to provide Israel with information on the condition of captives still in Gaza who were captured when the militants attacked Israel. on October 7, 2023. .

The dispute centered on one hostage in particular, Arbel Yehud, an Israeli civilian. Ms Yehud was to be among the women released on Saturday as part of a swap for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. Israel has demanded the release of its civilian women before releasing female soldiers.

But on Saturday, four soldiers were released in exchange for 200 Palestinian prisoners.

Hussein al-Batsh, an official in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a small armed group and occasional rival of Hamas in Gaza, told The New York Times on Sunday that in the hands of the Quds Brigades, the group’s military wing, Mrs. Yehud. He said Ms Yehud was not released on Saturday due to “technical reasons”.

After a day of heated talks to resolve the crisis, Qatar, one of the main mediators between Israel and Hamas, said at midnight on Sunday that it would hand over Ms Yehud and the hostages. Hamas two more lives before next Friday, in addition to donations. three more hostages on Saturday.

Israel confirmed that Ms. Yehud would be released on Thursday along with Agam Berger, an Israeli soldier, and another hostage. Israel also said it had received a long-awaited list from Hamas detailing the status of the remaining 26 hostages that will be released in the first phase of the deal.

In response, Israel said it would allow Gazans to cross into northern Gaza starting Monday morning.

On Sunday, photos circulated in the Palestinian media of scores of displaced Palestinians waiting near the Netzarim corridor — an area established by the Israeli army that bisects Gaza.

Wafa, the Palestinian Authority’s news agency, reported that one person was killed and several others were wounded in the west of Nuseirat in central Gaza after Israeli forces opened fire on people waiting to return to the north. The Israeli army said its troops fired warning shots at several Palestinian gatherings in central Gaza, describing them in a statement as “suspects who advanced towards the soldiers and threatened them.”

One Palestinian, Ghada al-Kurd, 37, said he chose to stay in central Gaza on Sunday despite wanting to return to his home in the north. “I will not risk my life,” he said. “These soldiers cannot be trusted.”

Ms. al-Kurd, who left her home with her two daughters in Gaza City in the first week of the war, still wonders when she will see them again. “We’re just waiting here, feeling anxious and nervous,” he said. “They are playing our part,” he added.

A similar sentiment was expressed among the thousands of Lebanese who tried to return home to towns and villages along the Israeli border, despite warnings from the Lebanese and Israeli military that they had not yet returned. it is safe to do so.

On Sunday afternoon, hundreds of people waited anxiously outside Meiss al-Jabal, a town along Lebanon’s southern border.

Ibrahim Hamoud, 41, said he recently saw a video sent by a friend in the Lebanese Army from his home in the city: The system was standing still, giving him relief, even showing tanks. The video was just an Israeli iron man sitting outside. the front door, he said.

“It’s been more than a year since I left my village, my home,” said Mr. Hamoud in a telephone interview. “I had no intention of going back.”

The crisis poses a severe test for Lebanon’s new leaders. President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam, as they plan to wrest some political control from Hezbollah and establish a functioning state.

Experts warn that any prolonged Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon could bring new life to Hezbollah, a group formed to liberate Lebanon from Israeli occupation and portraying itself as the only force that can protect the borders of Lebanon.

“As long as Israel occupies Lebanon, it is reviving Hezbollah’s narrative,” said Sami Nader, director of the Center for Political Science at Saint Joseph University in Beirut.

For those who managed to enter their cities in southern Lebanon, the extent of the destruction was overwhelming. The entire neighborhood has been reduced to rubble by the Israeli invasion since October 1, 2024, aimed at crushing Hezbollah. The militant group began shelling Israel a day after a Hamas attack sparked the Gaza conflict.

In the southern town of Aita al-Shaab, now mostly destroyed, residents walked through streets littered with rubble and destroyed buildings. Among them is Mohamed Srour, the mayor, who was displaced more than a year ago after the start of strikes between Hezbollah and Israel.

He said that the Israeli soldiers had not completely withdrawn from the city and that they occasionally opened fire on civilians. The claims could not be independently verified. However, Mr. Srour remained determined.

“Today, Aita is celebrating its long-awaited return,” he said. “The house is destroyed and there is no more livelihood, but our will to live is stronger. We will build again.”

The report was submitted by Error Yazbek, Iyad Abuheweila, Jonathan Reiss, Gabby Sobelman, Myra Noveck, Hwaida Saad SY Dayana Iwaza.