Second Day of Ceasefire in Lebanon: Continuous Shelling and Return of Displaced Persons

Second Day of Ceasefire in Lebanon: Continuous Shelling and Return of Displaced Persons
November 28, 2024, 11:36 am

عودة النازحين اللبنانيين

The town of Aita al-Shaab and the city of Bint Jbeil were subjected to shelling on Wednesday evening, according to the National News Agency. Security sources reported that gunfire has persisted since dawn in the Maroun al-Ras area and around Aitharoun and Malekiyah.

In a related context, the Lebanese Army has begun to reinforce its presence in the South Litani sector, exercising state authority in coordination with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), following hours after the ceasefire took effect at 4 AM on Wednesday.

The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, brokered by the United States and France, has come into effect. The agreement stipulates the withdrawal of the Israeli army from southern Lebanon within 60 days, in exchange for a complete withdrawal of Hezbollah to the north of the Litani River, approximately 30 kilometers from the Israeli border, as reported by media outlets.

As both Hezbollah and the Israeli army begin their gradual withdrawals, the Lebanese Army will also start a gradual deployment in southern Lebanon in accordance with the terms of the agreement, which will be under international supervision led by the United States. This makes the possibility of transforming it into a permanent agreement feasible after the 60-day deadline.

**Return of Displaced Persons**

In parallel with the return efforts, convoys of displaced persons are continuing to return to their villages and towns, leading to severe congestion on the international road from Beirut to the south. This comes after more than a year of conflict, which escalated over the past two months into an open war that has claimed thousands of lives and displaced hundreds of thousands, causing widespread destruction.

Vehicles and trucks laden with furniture and belongings have been flowing towards the south through the coastal city of Tyre.

The Israeli army warned residents of southern Lebanon, in an urgent statement, against returning to their homes in areas south of the designated village line, which includes Shab'a, al-Habbariyah, Marjayoun, and others. The statement clarified that the ban includes movement within those villages and their vicinity until further notice, emphasizing that the army does not intend to target civilians, but anyone moving south of that line would be putting themselves in danger.

Following the battle to reach a ceasefire, France, in cooperation with the United States, will commence efforts to expedite the process of electing a new president for Lebanon.

The ceasefire agreement aims to conclude the hostilities across the Israeli-Lebanese border, which have resulted in at least 3,768 deaths in Lebanon since the outbreak of conflict last year, coinciding with the escalation of war in Gaza, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

Commenting on the situation, UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated that the ceasefire represents "the first glimmer of hope" after months of conflict in the Middle East.

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