BEIRUT, Lebanon — Israeli troops opened fire on protesters in southern Lebanon on Monday, killing two people and injuring 17 others during the second day of deadly protests. The violence erupted as residents, displaced by the 14-month war between Israel and Hezbollah, attempted to return to their villages, many of which still have a presence of Israeli troops.
This shooting follows a deadly day on Sunday, when Israeli forces killed 24 people and wounded over 130 as protesters breached roadblocks along the border.
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Under a U.S.-brokered ceasefire reached on November 27, Israeli forces were supposed to withdraw from southern Lebanon, and Hezbollah was to move north of the Litani River by January 26. While the Lebanese army and U.N. peacekeepers had deployed to some villages before the deadline, Israel still maintains a presence in over a dozen villages.
On Sunday, the U.S. and Lebanon announced an extension of the ceasefire deadline to February 18. However, in a speech aired on Monday, Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem rejected the extension, insisting that Israel must withdraw as the original 60-day period had expired. “We won’t accept any excuses to extend one second or one day,” Kassem stated. He blamed the delay on the United Nations, the U.S., France, and Israel.
Protests continued on Monday, especially in the eastern border villages where residents tried to return to their homes. Israeli troops opened fire on protesters, killing one person in the town of Odaisseh and injuring others in four nearby villages, according to the Health Ministry.
Hezbollah has been accused of inciting the protests, with Israel claiming that its soldiers fired warning shots as demonstrators approached. “We are coming with our heads held high and crowned with victory to our village, Aitaroun,” said Saleem Mrad, head of the municipality. “Our village is ours, and we will bring it back more beautiful than it was before.”
Residents of Aitaroun and other villages expressed their determination to reclaim their land, with some saying they would sacrifice their lives for the cause. “If there had not been blood spilled, the land would not have been liberated,” said Hassan al-Ahmad, a resident of Aitaroun.
Reports indicated that Israeli forces dropped a bomb near the southern village of Yaroun to deter residents from advancing. In Bint Jbeil, Hezbollah members distributed flyers with an image of slain leader Hassan Nasrallah, declaring, “Victory has arrived.”
Israel has blamed the Lebanese army for not deploying quickly enough, while Lebanon accuses Israel of stalling its withdrawal, complicating the army’s efforts. Some family members who returned to border villages on Sunday found the bodies of their relatives.
Since the ceasefire began, Israel has conducted near-daily operations in southern Lebanon, including house demolitions, shelling, and airstrikes, accusing Hezbollah of violating ceasefire terms by attempting to move weapons. Lebanon, in turn, has accused Israel of hundreds of ceasefire violations. The ongoing conflict has claimed over 4,000 lives, with Lebanese authorities not distinguishing between fighters and civilians in their reported death toll.
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