Lebanon says Israeli forces kill 22, wound 124 in south on pull-out deadline

Israel its troops in southern Lebanon ‘fired warning shots to remove threats’ where ‘suspects were identified approaching the troops’

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This picture taken from Lebanon’s southern village of Shaqra on Saturday shows an Israeli army tank moving along a road on the outskirts of the village of Mais al-Jabal along the border with Israel in south Lebanon. Photo: AFP

Published: 5:38pm, 26 Jan 2025Updated: 1:35am, 27 Jan 2025

Israeli troops opened fire in south Lebanon on Sunday, killing 22 people including a Lebanese soldier, health officials said, as residents tried to return home on the day Israel was meant to withdraw under a truce deal.

The withdrawal deadline is part of a ceasefire agreement reached two months ago that ended Israel’s war with Iran-backed Hezbollah, which had left the Lebanese militant group weakened.

The deal that took effect on November 27 said the Lebanese army was to deploy alongside United Nations peacekeepers in the south as the Israeli army withdrew over a 60-day period that ends on Sunday.

The parties have swapped blame for the delay in implementing the agreement, and on Friday Israel said it would keep troops across the border in south Lebanon beyond the pull-out date.

Lebanon’s health ministry said on Sunday that Israeli forces opened fire on “citizens who were trying to return to their villages that are still under [Israeli] occupation”.

It said 22 people including six women and a soldier were killed and 124 more wounded. The Lebanese army also announced the soldier’s death and said another had been wounded.