On the second day of the ceasefire, Israel and Lebanon exchange accusations of violations | Israel attacks Lebanon News

Israel and Lebanon have accused each other of violating a ceasefire agreement, while the Israeli army said it had attacked a Hezbollah facility in southern Lebanon.

The attack on Thursday came hours after the Israeli army said it had shot at people in several areas in southern Lebanon who it said were violating the terms of the ceasefire.

The Lebanese army accused Israel of violating the ceasefire several times on Wednesday and Thursday.

Under the terms of the ceasefire brokered by the US and France, Hezbollah fighters and Israeli forces must gradually withdraw from southern Lebanon over a period of 60 days. The Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers would then be deployed throughout the region.

The Israeli airstrike was the first attack since the ceasefire began on Wednesday morning, with Lebanese security sources and Al Jadeed news channel reporting that the attack took place near Baysariyah, north of the Litani River.

While the agreement states that Hezbollah facilities south of the Litani River must be dismantled, facilities north of the river are not mentioned.

After the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the army to prepare for war if the ceasefire is violated.

Al Jazeera’s Nour Odeh said from Amman, Jordan, that Israel is operating with its own interpretation of the ceasefire.

“What we have seen and read from the text of the agreement is that it does not include Israel’s right to enforce the ceasefire,” Odeh said.

“In any case, this is a stress test for the agreement, which should be implemented over a period of 60 days, a long time with a lot of room for this type of incident,” she added.

Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed at least 3,961 people and injured 16,520 others since October 2023, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

Israeli authorities have said Hezbollah attacks in northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights have killed 45 civilians and at least 73 Israeli soldiers have also been killed during the war.

Forced displacement

Since the Israeli army escalated its bombing of Lebanon in late September and launched a ground attack in the south of the country in October, more than 1.2 million Lebanese have been displaced.

After the ceasefire was announced, many displaced people attempted to return to their homes, but the Israeli army renewed a curfew restricting the movement of residents in southern Lebanon between 5:00 PM (3:00 PM GMT) and 7:00 AM (05:00 GMT).

In the southern coastal city of Tire, residents who have returned to their homes have been confronted with the extent of Israel’s damage.

Resident Dunia Najdeh, 33, told Al Jazeera: “I didn’t expect such damage. We have seen the pictures, but the reality is more difficult.”

Najdeh’s father-in-law, Sleiman Najdeh, 60, explained that Israeli attacks had knocked out water and electricity supplies in the city.

“Tyre and Lebanon do not deserve what happened… but God will compensate us, and Tire will be even better than before,” he said.

On Thursday, Lebanon’s parliamentary speaker said parliament will meet on January 9, 2025 to elect a president, a post that has been vacant since 2022.