Hezbollah Villagers Return to South Lebanon, IDF Drone Kills 1

Photo Credit: Ayal Margolin/Flash90

IDF soldiers operating in a village in South Lebanon, January 2, 2025.

After the 60-day ceasefire agreement with Lebanon expired, Hezbollah-affiliated residents of South Lebanon removed the Lebanese Army’s checkpoints in an attempt to return to their settlements along the Israeli border. IDF forces fired deterrence shots at the terrorists who tried to return to their destroyed villages where practically every home had been stashed with arsenals of arms, ammunition, and rockets. So far, Arab media reported that an Israeli drone strike killed one person and wounded ten in the Shite settlement of Kfarkila.

תיעוד מדרום לבנון: תושבי עיתא א-שעב נכנסים לעיירה@migansh5 https://t.co/uXeukrcPMg pic.twitter.com/O5yMJNz3Xc

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) January 26, 2025

Sixty days have passed since the beginning of the ceasefire with Hezbollah, and according to the agreement, the IDF’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon was supposed to be completed on Sunday at 4:00 AM. However, in accordance with the announcement from the Prime Minister’s Office two days ago, IDF forces are still operating in Lebanese territory.

The Lebanese army accused Israel of “delaying” its withdrawal from the country’s territory, and said in a statement that it was “ready to continue its deployment as soon as the IDF withdraws.”

However, in reality, Hezbollah is ignoring the Lebanese Army and appears ready to challenge the IDF, no matter the costs.

#عاجل ‼️ تذكير جديد إلى سكان جنوب لبنان انه حتى إشعار آخر يحظر عليكم الانتقال جنوبًا إلى خط القرى ومحيطها
?جيش الدفاع لا ينوي استهدافكم ولذلك يحظر عليكم في هذه المرحلة العودة إلى بيوتكم من هذا الخط جنوبًا حتى إشعار آخر. كل من ينتقل جنوب هذا الخط – يعرض نفسه للخطر
?وكذلك يرجى… pic.twitter.com/OjXuTQuN5n

— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) January 26, 2025

The IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Avichay Adraee, on Sunday, issued a stern warning to residents of southern Lebanon, calling on them to avoid approaching the border villages. Meanwhile, a convoy of Lebanese Hezbollah supporters was spotted on the way to villages in southern Lebanon, some carrying Hezbollah flags.

The IDF’s announcement said that “until further notice, residents are prohibited from moving south toward the village line and its surroundings.” Adraee stressed that the IDF did not intend to attack the area, but at this stage, residents were prohibited from returning to their homes south of the line until further notice.

The statement emphasized: “Hezbollah, as usual, puts its narrow interests above the interests of the State of Lebanon and tries to use its madness to heat up the situation despite being the main reason for the destruction of the south.”

فيديو| الأهالي يصلون إلى ساحة بلدة الطيبة جنوب لبنان#sonarmediacenter pic.twitter.com/ed1ZcvW6fq

— Sonar Media Center (@SonarCenter) January 26, 2025

Political sources indicate that the IDF is likely to remain in Lebanese territory beyond the originally planned 60-day withdrawal period. This decision is driven by several key factors:

1. Hezbollah’s non-compliance: The organization has failed to retreat north of the Litani River as stipulated in the agreements.
2. Inadequate deployment by the Lebanese Army: The Lebanese Army has not sufficiently stationed forces south of the Litani, resulting in ongoing instability in the region.
3. Israeli security concerns: Israeli officials believe that establishing a buffer zone or maintaining a limited security strip near the border is essential to ensuring the region’s security in the near future. The actions of Hezbollah and the Lebanese Army, which violate the terms of the agreement, reinforce the necessity of this measure.