Lebanon ceasefire under strain after Israeli strikes and Hezbollah mortar fire
Deadly Israeli air strikes and a mortar attack by Hezbollah have raised fears that the ceasefire in Lebanon could collapse.
Ten people were killed in southern Lebanon on Monday night, the health ministry said, after Israel carried out its biggest wave of air strikes since both sides agreed last week to end 13 months of conflict.
The Israeli military said it struck Hezbollah fighters, launchers and infrastructure and urged Lebanese authorities to prevent what it called the group’s “hostile activity”.
Hezbollah had earlier fired two mortars at an Israeli army base in a disputed border area, saying they were a warning over what it saw as “repeated violations” by Israel. No casualties were reported.
The US, which along with France brokered the agreement and is monitoring compliance, said that “largely speaking” the ceasefire was holding despite the violence.
Under the deal, Hezbollah has been given 60 days to end its armed presence between the Blue Line – the unofficial border between Lebanon and Israel – and the Litani river, about 30km (20 miles) to the north.
Israeli forces must withdraw from the area over the same period, and Lebanese army troops and UN peacekeepers are due to deploy there.
The conflict began on 8 October 2023, when Hezbollah firing rockets into northern Israel in support of Palestinians in Gaza the day after its ally Hamas’s deadly attack on southern Israel.
Israel launched an intense air campaign and ground invasion against the Iran-backed group in late September, saying it wanted to ensure the safe return of 60,000 residents of northern Israel displaced by the rocket attacks.
Lebanese authorities say more than 3,960 people were killed during the hostilities, many of them civilians, and one million others were displaced from areas where Hezbollah has a strong presence.
Israeli authorities say more than 80 Israeli soldiers and 47 civilians were killed.
Read more on BBC
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