Israel’s military has told The Associated Press that it was looking into reports of shelling and artillery fire in southern Lebanon.
The terms of the ceasefire, as provided by the US State Department, prohibit Israel from offensive military actions in Lebanon. But they appear to leave more room for “self-defence”, including “against planned, imminent, or ongoing attacks”.
The Lebanese Army said early on Friday (Lebanon time) that Israel committed violations of the 10-day ceasefire just as it was beginning, including the intermittent shelling of several southern Lebanese villages.
Lebanon’s state-run National News agency reported that Israeli shelling continued in the villages of Khiam and Dibbine about 30 minutes after the truce began.
The Israeli military earlier urged residents in southern Lebanon not to move south of the Litani River, about 30 kilometres north of the Israeli border, until further notice while forces remain deployed after the start of the ceasefire. Arabic-language military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said the deployment was in response to what he described as continued Hezbollah militant activity.
AP
