General view of the village of Houla in southern Lebanon amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, as seen from northern Israel, on Nov. 25, 2024. (Credit: Reuters/Ayal Margolin)
In a new video posted on X, the Arabic-speaking spokesperson for the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee, issued a series of directives to Lebanese citizens returning home after the cease-fire took effect Wednesday morning at 4 a.m.
The senior Israeli officer urged residents "not to approach areas where the Israeli army is present, especially those it has instructed to evacuate, as this could expose them to danger."
He announced that from 5 p.m. Wednesday until 7 a.m. Thursday, "travel south of the Litani River will be prohibited." He further instructed that "those north of the Litani should refrain from heading south, and those already in the south must remain in place."
"We remind you that the Israeli Defense Forces remain deployed in their positions in southern Lebanon, in accordance with the terms of the cease-fire agreement," Lt. Col. Adraee emphasized, warning that Israeli forces will act "firmly" against any "violation" of the ceasefire.
Since the cease-fire between Hezbollah and Israel came into effect at 4 a.m. Wednesday, following two months of intense warfare and over a year of armed conflict, hundreds of thousands of displaced residents from southern Lebanon have begun their journey home, despite warnings about the Israeli military presence and unexploded ordnance.
