LEBANON (TIP): On January 26, Israeli forces opened fire on protesters in southern Lebanon demanding their withdrawal in accordance with a ceasefire agreement, killing at least 22 people and injuring 124, according to Lebanese health officials.
Later that day, the White House announced an extension of the deadline for Israeli troops to withdraw from southern Lebanon to February 18, 2025.
This decision followed Israel’s request for more time beyond the original 60-day deadline established in a ceasefire agreement ending the Israel-Hezbollah war in late November.
Israel stated that it needed the extension because the Lebanese army had not fully deployed in southern Lebanon to prevent Hezbollah’s resurgence. However, the Lebanese army claimed it could not deploy until Israeli forces had withdrawn.
U.S. and Lebanese Reactions
The White House stated that “the arrangement between Lebanon and Israel, monitored by the United States, will continue to be in effect until February 18, 2025,” and announced plans for negotiations on the return of Lebanese prisoners captured after October 7, 2023. Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati confirmed the extension.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun assured the people of southern Lebanon that the country’s sovereignty was “non-negotiable” and urged restraint, while Speaker Nabih Berri called for international pressure on Israel to complete its withdrawal.
Clashes on the Ground
Protests erupted in multiple villages as demonstrators, some carrying Hezbollah flags, confronted Israeli forces. The clashes resulted in the deaths of six women and a Lebanese soldier. Protesters were wounded in nearly 20 villages, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. The Israeli army accused Hezbollah of instigating the protests, claiming it fired warning shots to “remove threats” from individuals approaching its positions. The U.N. peacekeeping force, UNIFIL, expressed concern over the escalating violence, warning it could destabilize the fragile ceasefire.
Ongoing Displacement and Damage
In the border village of Aita al-Shaab, displaced families searched the rubble of their homes. Hussein Bajouk, a returning resident, vowed resilience, saying, “These are our houses. However much they destroy, we will rebuild.”
On the Israeli side, residents of the kibbutz of Manara reflected on the conflict’s toll. Orna Weinberg, a local, lamented, “Unfortunately, we have no way of defending our own children without harming their children. It’s a tragedy for all sides.”
Humanitarian Concerns
Approximately 112,000 Lebanese remain displaced out of the over 1 million who fled during the war. The U.N. has called for Israel’s complete withdrawal, the removal of unauthorized weapons in southern Lebanon, and the safe return of displaced civilians on both sides of the Blue Line. (AP)