BEIRUT: A large contingent of the Lebanese army entered Yohmor Chkeif, north of the Litani River in Nabatieh governorate, southern Lebanon, on Wednesday. Rockets were launched from the area toward Israel last week.
A security source said forces patrolled the village, which is surrounded on three sides by the river. A video shared on social media appeared to show the troops entering the village.
The residents of another village north of the Litani River reported seeing Lebanese army Cessna drones in the skies over Nabatieh on Wednesday. An army unit, in cooperation with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, recently entered Zawtar Al-Charqiyeh, which is located in the same governorate.
Ali Al-Amin, the editor-in-chief of the Janoubia news website, told Arab News the region is characterized by its valleys, mountains and rugged terrain. Under Hezbollah directives, only civilians are allowed in the area. But a Lebanese army unit entered Hezbollah military sites in Wadi Zawtar Al-Charqiyeh, close to the river, he added.
The valley was targeted by at least 200 raids during the recent war between Israel and Hezbollah. It reportedly contains large Hezbollah camps, training centers and weapon storage facilities.
The arrival of the Lebanese army in the area effectively marks the end of Hezbollah’s military presence there, Al-Amin said, though the group has not officially stated this. He suggested that Hezbollah might have reached an understanding with the army behind closed doors.
Last week, the army seized empty rocket launchers that had targeted Israel twice in the space of a week. An investigation has been launched in an attempt to identify those who fired the missiles. They remain unknown, although the Lebanese army said it arrested suspects from Syria and Palestine.
The launch of the rockets resulted in a significant deterioration in the security situation in Lebanon, jeopardizing the ceasefire agreement as retaliatory Israeli airstrikes targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut for the first time since the peace deal came into effect four months ago. Dozens of people were killed or injured by the Israeli strikes.
Army commander Gen. Rodolphe Haikal inspected the South Litani Sector Command two days ago and reinforced the Lebanese military’s commitment to the implementation of UN resolutions and the ceasefire agreement.
Army command said the general had highlighted the continued presence of Israeli forces in occupied Lebanese territory as the main obstacle to deployment of the army south of the Litani, and reinforcement of the ceasefire.
Further Israeli violations of the peace agreement were reported on Wednesday. According to media reports from southern Lebanon, the Israeli army “opened fire on a citizen from the border town of Odaisseh, injuring him slightly while he was driving his car on the Kfarkela-Odaisseh road.” The Ministry of Health also said a citizen was wounded by Israeli gunfire in the Odaisseh area.
The Israeli army also continued to target shelters being built by residents in border areas near homes destroyed during the conflict. A combat drone destroyed one such shelter in the center of the town of Yaroun but no casualties were reported.
At dawn, Israeli vehicles and demolition equipment based in the Labouneh area east of Naqoura, inside Lebanese territory, advanced toward Ras Naqoura. According to the National News Agency, they raised a dirt barrier that blocked the road on both directions opposite the Israeli Jal Al-Alam site, which overlooks the towns of Naqoura and Alma Al-Shaab.
The latest developments come as Russia Today reported that Lebanese security officials had received “concerning signals” suggesting that Israeli authorities intend to resume their campaign of targeted assassinations. A security source said Tel Aviv is committed to dismantling Hezbollah’s military arsenal and considers the Lebanese government’s efforts so far to achieve this to be inadequate.
The rising tensions followed a pre-dawn Israeli strike in Beirut’s southern suburbs on Tuesday that killed Hezbollah member Hassan Badir and his son. Civilians in a neighboring apartment were also reportedly killed.
In a separate security operation, the Lebanese army said on Wednesday it had shut down two illegal border crossings in the Hermel and Mashari Al-Qaa regions as part of its ongoing efforts to combat smuggling and unauthorized movements across the country’s northern and eastern border with Syria.
