The Lebanese army announced on Thursday that Israeli forces had penetrated several areas in the south of the country, in a new violation of the ceasefire agreement and a clear assault on Lebanese sovereignty. The Lebanese army explained in a statement that Israeli forces had penetrated the areas of Qantara, Adshit al-Qusayr and Wadi al-Hujayr, stressing that the Lebanese deployment there had been reinforced and the situation was being monitored in coordination with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

The Lebanese army indicated that its forces closed the roads leading to Wadi al-Hujayr due to Israeli movements, while the army command confirmed that it is following up on the situation in coordination with UNIFIL and the five-member committee tasked with supervising the implementation of the ceasefire agreement.

According to the Lebanese News Agency, Israeli military vehicles penetrated through Wadi al-Hujayr to the town of Qantara, where they opened heavy fire during combing operations, forcing many residents to flee to the neighboring town of al-Ghandouriya.

The agency reported earlier that the number of Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement exceeded 300 violations since it came into effect on November 27, which resulted in the killing of 32 people and the injury of 38 others.

International concern

For its part, UNIFIL expressed its deep concern over the continued Israeli violations, and stated in a statement that "the destruction carried out by the Israeli army in residential areas, agricultural lands and road networks in southern Lebanon constitutes a clear violation of UN Resolution 1701."

The UN Security Council passed Resolution 1701 on August 11, 2006, following a 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. The resolution put an end to hostilities between the two sides and established a comprehensive framework aimed at maintaining peace and security in the region.

The statement stressed that "any actions that threaten the fragile cessation of hostilities must cease immediately," noting that UNIFIL is working closely with the Lebanese Armed Forces to accelerate the redeployment south of the Blue Line and ensure that the area is free of weapons not belonging to the Government of Lebanon or peacekeeping forces. The mission added that it urges the Israeli military to commit to a gradual and timely withdrawal and to respect the Blue Line as part of the overall path towards peace.

The past period has witnessed repeated Israeli violations, which has complicated the humanitarian and security situation in the south. The Israeli aggression on Lebanon since the beginning of the escalation last September has led to the killing of 4,063 people and the wounding of 16,663 others, including a large number of children and women, in addition to the displacement of about 1.4 million people.

Despite international efforts to ensure stability, the escalation of Israeli violations raises fears of a new round of escalation, amid repeated calls from the United Nations to fully adhere to international resolutions and respect Lebanese sovereignty.