Smoke rises after Israeli explosions in Yaroun, South Lebanon, Dec. 20, 2024. (Credit: Photo sent by local sources to our correspondent, Muntasser Abdallah)
On Friday morning, the Israeli army withdrew from Bani Hayyan in the Marjayoun district, two days after entering the southern Lebanese village, which had sparked concern among local authorities. According to our regional correspondent, Israeli troops demolished several houses as they left the area.
“Israeli forces are destroying the village’s homes, places of worship and infrastructure without restraint,” the municipality said in a statement on Thursday. It called on the Lebanese government, the national army, the international community and the U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 monitoring committee to take immediate action to halt the Israeli aggression in the village.
Despite the cease-fire that came into effect on Nov. 27 and two meetings by the monitoring committee to ensure compliance, Israeli violations persist daily in still-occupied border areas in Lebanon.
As a result, many of the homes that remained untouched after 14 months of war in these occupied villages have been destroyed every day since the ceasefire. On Friday, echoes of explosions were again heard in Kfar Kila (Marjayoun district) and Aitaroun (Bint Jbeil), as well as in the southern district of Naqoura (Sour), according to our correspondent, who adds that a "huge explosion" from Yaroun (Bint Jbeil) was heard around 4 p.m. in the surrounding villages, from which a thick cloud of smoke is visible. Houses in Maroun al-Ras (Bint Jbeil) were also blown up.
Homes that remained intact after 14 months of war in Lebanon are now being destroyed in these villages. On Friday, explosions were reported in Kfar Kila (Marjayoun), Aitaroun (Bint Jbeil), and Naqoura (Sour), according to our correspondent. Additionally, a "huge explosion" in Yaroun (Bint Jbeil) around 4 p.m. sent a thick cloud of smoke over surrounding villages. Houses in Maroun al-Ras (Bint Jbeil) were also demolished by the Israeli army, our correspondent added.
Israeli artillery also targeted Halta (Hasbaya) shortly before 1 p.m., while machine-gun fire was reported in Wadi Slouki (Marjayoun) and near Ghandourieh (Bint Jbeil).
Bodies found under the rubble
Contact has been lost with three men who traveled from the Bekaa to border villages, after which security forces launched an investigation. Two reportedly went to the area to collect scrap metal, while the third disappeared after crossing the Wadi al-Hjeir region in the Bint Jbeil district yesterday. This morning, authorities found his car riddled with bullet holes, but there was no trace of him. The van belonging to the other two men has not been located. By this afternoon, search efforts had yielded no updates on the whereabouts of Mehdi Shmout, Fouad Kattaya, and Ali Younis.
In the Khiam plain, south of Marjayoun, Civil Defense workers recovered the body of a Syrian woman from the rubble of a factory. Earlier in the morning, Civil Defense teams found the bodies of three people under the debris of a building in Haret Hreik, a neighborhood in Beirut's southern suburbs. The remains were sent to Rafik Hariri University Hospital for DNA testing to confirm their identities. According to the National News Agency, seven people remain missing after an Israeli strike on the site on Sept. 27.
Meanwhile, Israeli aircraft flew over the regions of Nabatieh, Iqlim al-Touffah, Saida, and other parts of southern Lebanon throughout the morning.
Since the cease-fire took effect, at least 34 people have been killed by the Israeli army in southern Lebanon, according to our count. This is in addition to the 4,047 deaths officially recorded by the Lebanese Health Ministry at the end of the 14-month war in Lebanon between Hezbollah and Israel.
