Lebanon reports Israeli cross-border incursion despite ceasefire

BEIRUT

Israeli military vehicles breached a border fence with Lebanon and conducted bulldozing operations before withdrawing from the area, the Lebanese army said on Sunday.

A military statement said the cross-border incursion targeted the Qatmoun Valley near Rmeish in Nabatieh province.

The army condemned the Israeli military incursion as a “flagrant violation” of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and a ceasefire agreement.

Resolution 1701, adopted on Aug. 11, 2006, calls for a complete halt to hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel and the establishment of a weapons-free zone between the Blue Line, a de facto border, and the Litani River in southern Lebanon, with exceptions for the Lebanese army and the UN peacekeeping mission (UNIFIL).

“The Israeli enemy has escalated its attacks on Lebanon since Saturday, carrying out dozens of airstrikes across Lebanon, killing and injuring dozens, the army said.

At least seven people were killed and 40 others injured in a series of Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon on Saturday, the Lebanese Health Ministry said.

According to the statement, the army reinforced its military presence in the area after the Israeli incursion while a UNIFIL patrol documented the violations.

An Israeli drone struck a car in the town of Aita Al-Shaab in southern Lebanon early Sunday amid reports of casualties.

Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee confirmed the attack, claiming that it targeted a Hezbollah member.

A fragile ceasefire had been in place in Lebanon since November, ending months of cross-border warfare between Israel and the Lebanese group, Hezbollah, which escalated into a full-scale conflict in September.

Lebanese authorities reported nearly 1,100 Israeli violations of the ceasefire, including the deaths of 100 victims and injuries to more than 330.

Under the ceasefire deal, Israel was supposed to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by Jan. 26, but the deadline was extended to Feb. 18 after Israel refused to comply. It still maintains a military presence at five border outposts.