Lebanon recovers bodies of 5 victims amid Israeli violations of cease-fire

By Iyad Nabolsi

ISTANBUL (AA) — Lebanese authorities recovered the bodies of five people in southern Lebanon on Sunday and counted three new Israeli violations of a cease-fire agreement.

The Lebanese Civil Defense Service said that the bodies of the victims were retrieved in the town of Khiam.

It remains unclear whether the five victims were killed by Israeli fire before or after the cease-fire.

Meanwhile, Israeli army forces carried out two large detonations in the southern town of Meiss El Jabal, with the blasts heard in nearby villages, the state news agency NNA reported.

The Israeli army also blocked a road between the southern towns of Taybeh and Deir Siryan and erected a checkpoint there, NNA said.

The latest breaches brought the number of Israeli violations to 333, including the death of 32 people and injury of 38 others, since the cease-fire came into effect on Nov. 27, according to an Anadolu tally based on Lebanese data.

Under the cease-fire terms, Israel is required to withdraw its forces south of the Blue Line — a de facto border — in phases, while the Lebanese army is to deploy in southern Lebanon within 60 days.

Data from the Lebanese Health Ministry indicates that since Israel’s onslaught against Lebanon began on Oct. 8, 2023, at least 4,063 victims have been killed, including women, children, and health workers, while 16,663 others have been injured.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala