Israeli forces fire on south Lebanon border towns and warn residents not to return

A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah entered its second day on Thursday despite an Israeli airstrike deep into southern Lebanon and shelling on some border towns, where the military has warned people not to approach.

An airstrike targeted an area in the Sidon district north of the Litani River, as the Israeli army claimed it struck a weapons facility belonging to Hezbollah. It said it targeted it after informing the US.

Israel has warned it will deal with any "violations" even after the ceasefire deal.

On Thursday morning, the army said it used a drone to target a car in the village of Markaba after it came too close to a no-go zone, injuring two people. It also fired shells towards numerous border towns and villages.

On Wednesday evening, the Israeli military told south Lebanon residents they will be barred from travelling south of the Litani River, some 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the border, between 1500 GMT and 0500 GMT on Thursday. The army shared a map of the no-go area where its forces are still present, as well as 10 other villages.

Despite warnings not to return to their villages, thousands of people headed back check on their homes after the ceasefire came into effect.

The Khiam municipality said Thursday it was waiting for an official announcement from Lebanese authorities to allow residents to return to the hilltop border town which had witnessed intense fighting for weeks between Hezbollah fighters and Israeli forces.

As part of the ceasefire deal, Israel has 60 days to pull out its troops from south Lebanon which it invaded at the start of last month. In that time, the Lebanese army will begin moving in, gradually deploying thousands of troops.

Hezbollah must also move north of the Litani with its heavy weaponry, and all its military infrastructure must be dismantled south of the river.

Several Israeli officials have warned to act decisively against Hezbollah and resume the war if the Iran-backed group violates the deal.

Hezbollah for its part has also said it is monitoring Israel’s commitment to withdrawing from south Lebanon, saying its fighters were "ready" for redeployment.

The fighting that erupted between Hezbollah and Israel in October 2023 dramatically spiralled into an open war in September, killing and wounding thousands of people in Lebanon and destroying swathes of southern Lebanon, Beirut’s southern suburbs and towns in the Beqaa region.

Efforts to elect a president

French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian arrived in Beirut Wednesday night to discuss with officials the ceasefire, which his country will play a key role in.

France has members in the UN mission in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL), which is responsible for maintaining peace in the region. It will also be part of a US-led international monitoring committee that will oversee the implementation of the ceasefire deal, in line with UN Resolution 1701 adopted in 2006 but never fully enforced.

Israel will have to inform this committee of any violations it monitors before taking any military action. The committee will then ask the Lebanese army and UNIFIL to address the issue. The deal stipulates that "both sides have the right to self-defence."

Le Drian is also expected to discuss with Lebanese officials efforts to elect a president now the war is over.

Since 2022, a political stalemate has stopped Lebanon’s sectarian rival groups from agreeing on a head of state, elected by parliament’s 128 lawmakers under the country’s power-sharing system.

Lebanese Speaker Nabih Berri on Thursday set a session to elect a president on 9 January 2025, the first in months.

With Lebanon and Israel expected to begin mediated negotiations to delineate their land border, a president will be essential to oversee and sign off on these agreements.