Lebanese soldiers at a checkpoint on a road in the Marjayoun region of south Lebanon on Nov. 28, 2024. (Credit: AFP)
Heavy deployment of the Lebanese Army in the neighborhoods and streets of Sour and its surroundings took place Tuesday to maintain security, signaling the start of the army's redeployment in the south, particularly in border villages, the state-run National News Agency’s correspondent in Sour reported Tuesday.
On Nov. 27, Lebanon and Israel reached a cease-fire agreement, stipulating that Hezbollah and other armed groups in Lebanon will refrain from offensive actions against Israel, while Israel commits to abstaining from military offensives targeting Lebanon by land, air, or sea. The agreement came into effect on Nov. 27.
“The Lebanese security forces and army will be the sole entities authorized to carry weapons or deploy troops in southern Lebanon, with the government overseeing the sale, provision and production of weapons. Unauthorized facilities for weapon production will be dismantled, non-compliant military infrastructure removed, and unauthorized weapons confiscated,” the cease-fire agreement stated.
"A committee, approved by both nations, will oversee the implementation of these measures, with violations reported to the committee and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon [UNIFIL]. Lebanon will deploy official security forces and the army along border crossing points and the southern zone, as outlined in the deployment plan, while Israel will withdraw from the southern Blue Line within 60 days. To further ensure peace, the United States will enhance indirect negotiations to achieve an internationally recognized delineation of the land border," the cease-fire agreement also specified.
The clashes between Hezbollah and Israel, which began on Oct. 8, 2023, escalated into an all-out war in late September. This escalation included an expanded Israeli offensive in Lebanon, accompanied by a ground operation. Several Lebanese soldiers and officers were killed in Israeli strikes during the conflict.
Hezbollah had announced that it had fired shells on Monday evening at the Roueissat al-Alam site in the disputed Kfar Shuba hills, adjacent to the Shebaa Farms. According to a party statement, the attack came “in response to repeated violations” of the cease-fire agreement by Israel. Since Nov. 27, the Israeli army has carried out dozens of attacks on Lebanese territory, killing at least 13 people, not to mention repeated overflights.