In the early hours of Sunday, the agreed-upon ceasefire in southern Lebanon ended without Israeli forces withdrawing. As anticipated in the neighboring country in recent days, residents of southern Lebanon began moving en masse, both by vehicle and on foot, toward border villages, including ones from which Israeli forces have not yet fully withdrawn. This despite the fact that on Saturday morning, in an official statement, the Lebanese army asked residents to delay heading to the southern border area due to "the presence of landmines and suspicious objects left behind by the Israeli enemy."
IDF in south Lebanon
Residents of southern Lebanon were urged "to act responsibly and follow military instructions to ensure their safety." The army added that "there has been a delay in several stages due to the enemy’s stalling in withdrawing, complicating the army’s deployment preparations, though it remains ready to complete its deployment as soon as Israel withdraws." In the evening, the army issued another statement about its deployment in several border villages, urging civilians "not to approach areas Israeli forces have withdrawn from and to adhere to the guidance of military units."
Despite these warnings and calls from Lebanese army – tasked with implementing the cease-fire agreement in southern Lebanon and demonstrating control over the area – residents of southern Lebanon crossed military checkpoints Sunday morning with almost no resistance.
The Lebanese army had placed barbed-wire fencing at several entrances to border towns to prevent residents from entering, but they lifted the fences and crossed without obstruction. The greater challenge for residents, according to Lebanese reports, was Israeli forces' dirt barriers blocking several roads, but even these were eventually crossed.
The Lebanese army, unable to prevent southern residents from reaching the villages, changed its declarations on Sunday morning. Instead of requesting residents to stay away, it reported that "army units are accompanying residents’ entry into towns, against the backdrop of the Israeli enemy’s insistence on violating Lebanon’s sovereignty, its attacks on civilians that have caused fatalities and injuries, and its refusal to adhere to the cease-fire agreement and withdraw from Lebanese territories it has occupied."
The army command also reiterated its call for residents "to act with restraint and follow instructions from military units."
All discussions about clearing "landmines and suspicious objects," as well as the need for Lebanese army to enter villages before residents to secure their return were abandoned. Residents of southern Lebanon entered the towns without any oversight. Senior Hezbollah officials emphasized Sunday morning that it was the residents who cleared the roads for the army, using the opportunity to demonstrate how "resistance is essential" in cooperating with Lebanese army.
Meanwhile, Lebanon's Ministry of Health on Sunday evening reported that 22 people were killed and 124 injured in the south of the country, after IDF soldiers fired shots to disperse a threat. At least five Lebanese were detained or arrested by Israeli forces. One video circulating online shows a woman standing in front of a tank.
Ghaleb Abu Zaynab, a member of Hezbollah’s political council, stated on Sunday that: “This return is dangerous, but residents of the south insisted on coming back and taking their rights into their own hands. The people are moving forward, and the army is with them.” It seems that, lacking control, the army is now aligning with them.
In its latest statement this morning, Lebanese army declared: "Army units stand alongside citizens against the Israeli enemy, which continues to refuse to implement the cease-fire agreement and withdraw from Lebanese territory." This, however, is not the army’s immediate mission in the south.
Scenes from southern Lebanon on Sunday demonstrate that, despite responsibilities imposed on it under the two-month-old cease-fire agreement, the Lebanese army lacks the ability to control the area south of Litani River or to deter Hezbollah operatives and their supporters. It is also unclear whether the army even wants to fulfill this role. The Lebanese army does not want to be seen as "complying" with Israel’s demands to dismantle Hezbollah or as standing between southern Lebanese residents and Israel.
Hezbollah infused into Lebanese army
Half of Lebanese army soldiers are Shiite Muslims. Over the past years, Hezbollah has gained significant control over the army. Even though the terrorist organization has weakened within the country, and even if Shiite Lebanese soldiers themselves do not support Hezbollah, those that surround them likely do.
A source told the pro-Hezbollah Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar last week that Israel wants the "Lebanese army to become a tool that works for it and for the monitoring committee," with senior military officials refusing to act as "officers operating under the enemy’s orders and clashing with residents."
Despite international declarations in recent months about strengthening the Lebanese army, there is no evidence that significant new capabilities were demonstrated on Sunday in the south. Returning residents, including Hezbollah operatives, are now in the villages, despite all army requests for them not to enter.
"This is the equation of the army, the people and the resistance," said Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah on Sunday morning. "The resistance fought here until the last day. The people liberated Aita al-Shaab and will liberate Marun al-Ras and Aitaroun. The people are opening the way for the army. The equation of the army, the people, and the resistance is not something written in ministers’ statements but is implemented on the ground."
Instead of acknowledging its failure to enforce order in the south, Lebanese officials have been blaming Israel since Sunday morning for violating the cease-fire agreement, supporting southern residents and attempting to project control.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stated: "I call on our people in the south to exercise self-restraint and trust the army. Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are non-negotiable. I am closely monitoring the southern residents’ situation at the highest levels to ensure their rights. The army remains committed to protecting you and ensuring your safety. I share with our people in the south the joy of the victory of truth."
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Lebanese marching back home, some with Hezbollah flags
(Photo: Reuters/REUTERS/Karamallah Daher)
Speaker of Lebanese Parliament Nabih Berri accused Israel of wrongdoing, saying that "Israel continues to violate Lebanon’s sovereignty and the terms of the cease-fire. The blood of southern Lebanese residents is an urgent call to the international community to compel Israel to withdraw from southern Lebanon."
Lebanon’s incoming Prime Minister Nawaf Salam added: "I fully share President Joseph Aoun’s trust in the army’s role in defending Lebanon’s sovereignty and ensuring the safe return of our people." This is despite the army’s actual failure to ensure the safe return of residents.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces emphasize that they continue to operate in southern Lebanon in accordance with directives from political leadership and within the framework of the cease-fire agreement between the sides. According to the army, Israeli troops remain deployed in several areas, maintaining forward defense and preventing the return of enemy forces or civilians beyond agreed line.
"Since this morning, hundreds of civilians, including Hezbollah operatives, have attempted to approach the first line of villages at several points, conducting provocative marches and attempting to create provocations," a military source reported.
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The source added that IDF troops are responding with warning fire to remove threats and prevent approaches to the fence area. During operations, several suspects who approached troops and posed a real threat were detained and taken for field interrogation.
Israeli forces confirmed reports of injuries to a Lebanese soldier, but full details, including reports of fatalities, have not yet been clarified.
"According to the agreement, withdrawal of troops does not have to be completed within 60 days, and discussions about extending the period and the temporary positioning of troops are ongoing between political leadership, U.S., and Lebanon," the military source clarified. He added that Israeli forces continue to closely monitor Hezbollah attempts to return to southern Lebanon and operate according to operational and political needs.
Israel also stated that Lebanese forces has not adequately "cleared" areas controlled by Hezbollah, particularly in the eastern sector. Israel has an operational plan and a range of options in case of escalation, which is currently deemed "unlikely." Lebanese reports mentioned gunfire directed at displaced people attempting to return to their homes, but Israel explained that fire was only directed at those posing a threat to troops.