Israel, Lebanon cease-fire holds despite claims of breach

Israel and Lebanon traded accusations of violating a cease-fire deal that’s brought more than a year of fighting to a halt, though the truce with Hezbollah appeared to be holding.

The Lebanese army said Israel breached the accord multiple times over the past two days through “aerial violations and the targeting of Lebanese territories with various weapons,” according to a statement on X. Lebanon’s state news agency reported two people were wounded by Israeli gunfire in the border village of Markaba, located in an area Israel’s troops have been trying to prevent civilians from entering.

The Israel Defense Forces said it attacked a Hezbollah facility in southern Lebanon after identifying “terrorist activity” by the Iran-backed militant group, and separately opened fire on “several suspects” who it said had breached the terms of the cease-fire.

Tens of thousands of Lebanese have brushed off Israeli warnings to stay away from border areas and instead clogged the country’s main coastal highway and roads to return to their homes in the south of the country. Thousands of people have died and more than 1 million Lebanese — almost a quarter of the population — have been displaced by the conflict, which began when Hezbollah began firing rockets at Israel in solidarity with Hamas after the start of the war in Gaza.

Both Hezbollah and Hamas are backed by Iran and designated terrorist organizations by the US and many other countries.

Under the deal that came into effect on Wednesday, Israel has 60 days to leave areas it has occupied after its ground invasion of Lebanon on Oct. 1. During that period, the Lebanese army is supposed to deploy to an area south of the Litani River, about 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the Israeli border, and ensure an end to Hezbollah’s military presence there, as stipulated by an earlier United Nations resolution.

The mood among a large part of the Lebanese population has been one of relief, anger and fatigue as well as apprehension about what comes next for a country already battered by previous conflicts and a major economic crisis.

“I urge Hezbollah to carefully read the terms of the cease-fire agreement so it doesn’t violate it and plunge Lebanon into another war,” said Ghayath Yazbeck, a lawmaker from the Strong Lebanon Bloc headed by the Lebanese Forces party, one of Hezbollah’s main opponents, in an interview Friday on Lebanon’s VDTL radio station.

In Israel, the government appeared to be committed to the cease-fire, despite a warning by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday that the IDF would respond forcefully to any breaches.

Civilians, particularly the tens of thousands of people who’ve been displaced from northern Israel, also remained on guard. More than 60% of Israelis either oppose or are unsure about the cease-fire, according to an Israeli TV poll.