Israel is preventing the seizure of airfields in southern Lebanon: Army | Israel attacks Lebanon News

Israel is violating agreements by shelling ‘pilot villages’, says Lebanese army.

The Lebanese army has accused Israel of obstructing efforts to secure southern Lebanon.

The Lebanese army said in a statement on Sunday that the Israeli army continued to fire and remove shells, preventing the Lebanese army from occupying the villages as agreed.

The Lebanese army on Tuesday sent troops to the first of three “pilot zone” villages. The move by local forces to take over security follows the signing last month of a US-backed deal that is expected to see the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon.

“The continuation of the violence is hindering the deployment of the army … and preventing people from returning to villages and towns,” the Lebanese army said in a statement.

Three villages, or “airports”, were designated for the first phase of the Israeli withdrawal – Zawtar al-Gharbiya, Froun and Srifa. However, anxiety due to the lack of a clear plan to leave Israel they will continue.

The western districts of Zawtar, Tibnit and Nabatieh al-Fawqa were still seeing Israeli gunfire even as civilians returned home, the Lebanese army said on Sunday.

Israel was firing, shelling and engaging in machine gun operations in Nabatieh, Hdda, Kunin, Bint Jbeil, Nabi Ibel al-Saqi, Khiam, al-Mansouri and Bayt al-Siyad as well as Majdal Zoun in Tyre, it added.

The waterworks in Markaba city were also blown up while olive trees and many fields were destroyed outside the town of Aitaroun.

Reporting from Zawtar al-Gharbiya, Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr said the people who fled their homes returned to their ruined homes.

Israeli forces have withdrawn from the outskirts of the village but want to advance the end of Hezbollah, he said.

Israel has been occupying areas of southern Lebanon for several months, insisting its presence is necessary to fight Hezbollah.

An Iranian-backed military group has rejected a US-brokered deal, demanding an unconditional Israeli withdrawal.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun he went US President Donald Trump in Washington, DC, last week in an attempt to persuade him to pressure Israel to comply with its agreement.

Clashes also erupted in Lebanon in March after Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel in response to the US-Israel war on Iran and the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

At least 4,330 people have been killed, with 37 Israeli soldiers and four civilians killed in the latest violence.