3 Israeli soldiers injured in 'operational accident' in southern Lebanon

The Israeli army has reported that three Israeli soldiers were “slightly injured in an operational accident” in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, Haaretz reports. According to the Ziv Medical Center in Safed, the Israeli daily continues, the soldiers were wounded by shrapnel to the face, without giving further details.

On Monday, four Israeli soldiers were killed in another “operational accident” in southern Lebanon. According to the Israeli army, a “large explosion” occurred as the soldiers were infiltrating a tunnel in the Labbouneh area, causing the walls and underground passage to collapse on the soldiers. A preliminary Israeli investigation concluded that the explosion had been caused by explosives left behind by another Israeli battalion that had operated in the area.

Although the cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect on Nov. 27, putting an end to more than a year of cross-border conflict and two months of open warfare, the Israeli army has 60 days from that date to withdraw from Lebanese territory, under the terms of the agreement, i.e. until the end of January.

Under the agreement, negotiated under the aegis of the U.S. and France, Hezbollah must also withdraw from the southern border with Israel and move north of the Litani River, some 30 km from the border. Hezbollah's heavy weapons will also have to be withdrawn from the border zone.