Woman killed as Israeli forces fire on returnees to southern Lebanon ahead of ceasefire deadline

A woman was killed and several other people wounded Sunday when Israeli forces opened fire on a group of residents attempting to return to the village of Houla in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese state-run news agency reported.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the incident, which comes two days before the deadline for implementation of a ceasefire agreement that ended the latest war between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in late November. It includes a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon.

The original deadline was in late January but Israel and Lebanon agreed to extend it to Feb. 18. Hours before they agreed to the extension on Jan. 27, hundreds of protesters attempted to enter villages still occupied by the Israeli army to demand its withdrawal, and Israeli forces opened fire in several locations, killing more than 20 people. Israel blamed Hezbollah for sending “rioters.”

It remained unclear whether Israel will fully withdraw from Lebanese territory on Tuesday.

Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem said in a televised speech Sunday that Israel “must withdraw from all of the Lebanese territory that it has occupied” on Feb. 18.

“There can be no excuses, no five points or other details under any pretext or any title. This is the agreement,” he said.

Kassem was referring to a proposal put forward by Israel that its forces would remain in five border points after the deadline. Lebanese officials have so far rejected this.

Kassem said it was “the primary and exclusive responsibility of the Lebanese state at this stage to apply all political pressure” to ensure that Israel withdraws fully.

Internal tensions have risen in Lebanon in recent days ahead of the deadline and after Lebanese authorities revoked permission for an Iranian plane that had been set to travel from Tehran to Beirut, leaving dozens of Lebanese passengers stranded.

The decision came after Israel had alleged that Iran was sending cash to Hezbollah via civilian flights and said it would “use all available means” to stop it.

The outgoing deputy commander of the U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, was injured Friday when protesters attacked a convoy taking peacekeepers to the Beirut airport.

Kassem said Hezbollah was “against the attack on UNIFIL” but also criticized the Lebanese army for tear gassing protesters who gathered “peacefully” on Saturday.

Kassem criticized the Lebanese government for banning Iranian flights, a decision that he said came after Israel threatened to strike the runway if the Iranian plane landed at Beirut airport.

“The problem is not that (Lebanese authorities) are ensuring the safety of civilians at a difficult time,” Kassem said. “The problem is that this is the implementation of Israel’s command. We are facing a real problem. Where is the national sovereignty? Are we employees of Israel, implementing the demands of the occupation?”

Also on Sunday, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that an Israeli airstrike hit a bulldozer that was attempting to open roads that had been blocked by the Israeli military near the village of Marwahin. No casualties were reported.

The Israeli army said in a statement that it had conducted “precision, intelligence-based strikes on a number of military sites in Lebanese territory containing rocket launchers and weapons, where Hezbollah activity had been identified.”

The Lebanese army, which has taken control of areas that the Israeli forces have withdrawn from, in a statement warned citizens not to try to enter areas where Lebanese troops have not yet deployed.