Hezbollah members and supporters attend the funeral of Abbas Raad, son of the head of Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc Mohammed Raad, who was killed in southern Lebanon in cross-border fire with Israeli troops, in Jbaa, on Nov. 23, 2023. The Lebanon-Israel border has seen regular cross-border shelling over the past month, with firing between the Israeli military on one side and the powerful Hezbollah and its allies on the other. (Credit: Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP)
As a four-day truce came into effect in Gaza on Friday morning, a Hezbollah spokesperson confirmed to L'Orient-Le Jour that the pro-Iranian party, which is engaged in almost daily exchanges of fire with the Hebrew State will respect the cease-fire unless South Lebanon is attacked.
“Of course, we will comply with the truce decreed in Gaza, provided that Israel does not strike South Lebanon. If it does, we are certainly not going to sit idly by,” said the official.
Kassem Kassir, an analyst close to Hezbollah, assures for his part, that “the party warned the inhabitants of South Lebanon that it would respect the ceasefire.” According to him, the Shiite party "will not launch operations during the truce, unless Israel attacks." “We cannot trust the Jewish state. The Israeli army may try to carry out operations for the next few days. But the United States is pushing for the truce to be respected in South Lebanon,” he told L'Orient-Le Jour publication.
Two shells before 7 a.m.
On the ground, “a precarious calm” reigned Friday morning, according to the OLJ correspondent in South Lebanon. “Two shells fell on the outskirts of the town of Khiam, before 7 a.m.,” shortly before the start of the humanitarian truce in Gaza, he reported.
An AFP photographer in the border region of Marjayoun said he heard exchanges of fire ten minutes before the start of the truce before calm returned.
Since Oct. 8, 86 Hezbollah militiamen have been killed in Israeli strikes, according to our count, including the son of the head of the Hezbollah parliamentary group, Mohammad Raad. At least 14 civilians, including three journalists, were killed in Lebanon, according to AFP.
Hezbollah intensified its attacks against Israel on Thursday. In several successive press releases, the Shiite party, which intervenes to support Palestinian Hamas, claimed responsibility for more than 20 attacks against Israeli military positions.
The Israeli army carried out air raids Thursday evening above Kfarshouba, Shihine and Marwahine, in South Lebanon, according to the OLJ correspondent. The Jewish state also struck Odaisseh, causing damage to around ten businesses, as well as the village's water tanks. A man was injured at the police station in this locality, before being treated on site.
Reconnaissance planes flew over Maaroub, Barish, Derdghayya and Hmaira, northeast of Sour, on Thursday evening. Bombings were reported on Friday around 1:30 a.m. in Khiam, Kfar Kila, Awaida and Markaba, while flare bombs were launched over Ramieh, Aita al-Shaab and Kawzah.