One killed in Lebanon as Israel-Hezbollah truce deadline looms
Beirut, Lebanon (AFP)–Lebanese media on Sunday reported that Israeli gunfire killed a woman as Washington pressed Beirut to disarm Hezbollah, two days before a deadline in the ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed group.
Lebanon has faced unrest this week after a government decision to block Iranian flights from landing in Beirut, with a UN peacekeeper convoy attacked during protests by supporters of Hezbollah, which on Sunday urged the government to reverse the move.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during a joint address with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem that “in the case of Lebanon, our goals are aligned… A strong Lebanese state that can take on and disarm Hezbollah”.
A fragile ceasefire between Israel and the militant group has been in effect since November 27 after more than a year of hostilities including two months of all-out war.
Both sides have traded accusations of violations, and Israel on Saturday said it targeted a senior militant from Hezbollah’s aerial unit, in a strike that Lebanese official media said killed two.
On Sunday, Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) said Israeli forces opened fire towards the southern border town of Hula “after residents entered”, killing a woman.
Under the ceasefire deal, Lebanon’s military was to deploy in the south alongside United Nations peacekeepers as the Israeli army withdrew over a 60-day period.
Hezbollah was also to pull back north of the Litani River — about 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the border — and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure in the south.
The withdrawal period was extended to February 18.