Lebanon army tells citizens not to return south until Israel truce starts

Lebanese army soldiers secure the site of an Israeli drone attack that targeted a vehicle on the highway of Saadiyat, south of Beirut, on April 16, 2026. Israel and Lebanon agreed to begin direct talks following a landmark meeting between the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to the United States, weeks after Hezbollah pulled Lebanon into the Middle East war with rocket fire at Israel in support of its backer Iran. (Photo by FADEL itani / AFP)
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Updated 16 April 2026
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Lebanon army tells citizens not to return south until Israel truce starts

  • Army command also called on citizens to heed instructions of Lebanese soldiers deployed in the south

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s army on Thursday urged people not to return to the country’s southern villages and towns before a ceasefire with Israel takes effect at midnight local time (2100 GMT), and warned against approaching Israeli forces there.
In a statement, the army command also called on citizens to heed instructions of Lebanese soldiers deployed in the south, where Israeli troops have invaded across the border, and to beware of unexploded ordnance and “suspicious objects.”