Israeli Forces Kill One, Injure Seven in Southern Lebanon

Southern Lebanon (Quds News Network)- Israeli forces killed one person and injured seven others on Monday as residents attempted to return to border villages in southern Lebanon for the second consecutive day. The Lebanese Health Ministry confirmed the casualties, stating that Israeli aggression targeted civilians trying to access their occupied towns.
This escalation follows Sunday’s announcement by the White House extending the Lebanon-Israel agreement until February 18, despite Israel’s failure to meet the deadline for withdrawing its troops from southern Lebanon. The Lebanese government agreed to extend the ceasefire agreement following US mediation.
The Lebanese Army has been assisting residents returning to border towns, urging them to follow military directives. Reinforcements were deployed near the border town of Mays al-Jabal, where residents gathered to enter with army support. Israeli forces reportedly fired toward Lebanese Army positions west of Mays al-Jabal but caused no injuries.
In the nearby town of Houla, residents entered after the Lebanese Army secured several neighborhoods. However, in Bani Hayan, two people, including a child, were injured by Israeli fire during similar attempts.
Witnesses in Bourj al-Malouk reported dozens of women, children, and men gathering behind an earthen barrier, hoping to reach the border town of Kfarkela, still occupied by Israeli forces.
In Bent Jbeil, a key entry point to several border villages, Hezbollah supporters distributed images of former Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, killed in an Israeli airstrike last September, along with sweets and water to passing vehicles.
Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee ordered southern residents to “wait” before returning to their villages, promising updates on what he called safe return areas.
Meanwhile, Lebanese media reported additional Israeli violations, including a reconnaissance drone dropping a bomb near a work team in Bani Hayan, injuring one person. Earlier, an Israeli drone bombed a municipal work team in the same town, though no injuries were reported.
Israeli forces also fired toward Lebanese Army positions in Mays al-Jabal and intimidated residents in the border town of Al-Dhahira. Since the ceasefire agreement, Israel has committed at least 660 violations, resulting in dozens of deaths and injuries.
The ongoing Israeli aggression has left 4,080 dead and 16,753 injured, including many children and women, while displacing approximately 1.4 million people since the Israeli assault began on September 23.