A resident of the village of Aita al-Shaab holds roses amidst the rubble on Jan. 26, 2025. (Credit: Mohammad Yassin/L’Orient Today)
BEIRUT — Despite Israel’s announcement that it intends to remain in southern Lebanon beyond the 60-day withdrawal deadline set by the Nov. 27 cease-fire agreement between Hezbollah and Israel, many southern Lebanese defied Tel Aviv's prohibitions on returning home, heading back to border villages in large numbers on Sunday.
Yesterday, the Israeli army had blocked access to dozens of villages. However, residents — particularly from Khiam, Mais al-Jabal and Yarine in the Marjayoun district — gathered by the thousands on Sunday morning. After hours of waiting, hundreds of Lebanese entered their villages on foot or in convoys of cars, ignoring Israeli restrictions. Many waved Hezbollah’s yellow flags, while others carried flags of the Amal Movement or the Lebanese national flag.
While Hezbollah asserted these were spontaneous movements by residents eager to return to their homes as quickly as possible, some observers suggested the party may have played a role in organizing the convoys to pressure Israel into withdrawing from the border villages without provoking a new war.
The Israeli army responded with violence, opening fire on residents returning home. According to preliminary reports, at least 22 people, including a Lebanese Army soldier, were killed, and 124 others were injured, reported Lebanon's Health Ministry.
In the afternoon, eyewitnesses reported that Israeli soldiers had stationed themselves on rooftops in Mais al-Jabal and were firing at residents, according to our regional correspondent. The president of the municipality, Abou Ziad al-Hammoud, said that "more than 100 residents of the town entered the village this morning," but upon their arrival, an armored Israeli patrol began "firing over [their] heads and around them." He added, "Several Israeli soldiers got off their military vehicle and ordered us to leave immediately."
Midday, the Israeli army acknowledged through its Arabic-speaking spokesperson, Avichai Adraee, that it had opened fire, claiming it sought to "ward off threats in several areas where suspects had been spotted approaching." The army also reported arresting "a number of suspects" who allegedly posed a "real threat" as they "approached the forces." Later, Adraee released a video statement blaming Hezbollah for the day’s violence.
The Lebanese Army deploys
The outbreak of violence, which accompanies statements made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s on Friday to postpone the army’s withdrawal, has not deterred residents, who have received messages of encouragement as well as calls for calm from Lebanon's political parties.
In a video shared by our correspondent, residents of Maroun al-Ras (Bint Jbeil) confronted Israeli soldiers stationed nearby, chanting: “Zionist, get out of there!” Elsewhere, anticipation seemed to outweigh fear. In Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil), residents showed determination despite the risks, reported our journalists on the ground.
Abdallah Gharib, president of the municipality of Dhaira (Sour), told L’Orient Today that "the residents of the city, happy with their return, used all the routes to get there instead of waiting for the Lebanese Army to open the road for them." He added, "Some of them walked five kilometers through the city of Jibbein (Sour) to Dhaira, while others took the road from Tayr Harfa."
In this tense context, the Lebanese Army, which had urged residents the day before to hold back for their safety, ultimately began accompanying citizen convoys, deploying to several new localities along the border strip. A widely circulated image on social media shows residents returning to their homes under the protection of a Lebanese Army unit. In another video, soldiers were greeted as heroes in the border town of Rmeish.
"The army continues to accompany residents returning to border localities in the South and stand by their side against the Israeli enemy, according to its national duty, as the enemy persists in targeting soldiers and civilians, causing many martyrs and casualties while openly refusing to abide by the cease-fire agreement and withdraw from Lebanese territories," the Lebanese Army said in a statement released Sunday evening.
The statement added that the army is maintaining its deployment across several localities in the South, urging citizens to follow military directives. It also reaffirmed that it is "closely monitoring the situation in coordination with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the committee overseeing the cease-fire agreement's implementation."
In Maroun al-Ras, images broadcast by al-Jadeed showed Lebanese soldiers briefly standing just meters away from an Israeli unit accompanied by a tank, which aimed its cannon at them.
By 6 p.m., the army confirmed the death of at least one soldier on the Marwahine-Dhaira road in the Sour district and another injured in Mais al-Jabal in the Marjayoun district after being targeted by Israeli gunfire. According to our correspondent, another soldier was reportedly killed, though the army has yet to confirm this information.
According to information from our correspondent, the Israeli army remained stationed Sunday evening in several border localities, including Marwahine, Blat, Aitaroun, Yaroun, Blida, Mhaibib, Houla and Mais al-Jabal.
Sources within the affected municipalities indicated that residents are expected to enter the localities of Aitaroun, Maroun al-Ras, Yaroun (all in the Bint Jbeil), and Blida (Marjayoun) on Monday.
What framework?
Speaking from the martyr village of Aita al-Shaab, Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah declared, "The equation of the army, the people and the resistance is consolidated today. The resistance fought here until the last day, the people opened the way for the Lebanese Army, and together we liberated Aita al-Shaab. This historical equation is cemented by the blood of our martyrs and the determination of our people."
In a brief statement, Hezbollah said: "Our honorable people … Today, you surprise the world once again, proving you are a proud, loyal and courageous people."
In the Bekaa, convoys of cars adorned with party and Lebanese flags departed in solidarity with the southern population in villages of the Baalbek-Hermel governorate, reported our regional correspondent. Another convoy also traveled through southern Beirut's suburbs, though this initiative was not officially endorsed by the party. Additionally, a third one traveled through the southern city of Saida.
On the opposing side of the political spectrum, MPs such as Elias Hankash (Metn), Michel Moawad (Zgharta), and Mark Daou (Chouf) commended the Lebanese Army’s efforts to protect civilians. "Army, people, State … This is how the territory is liberated," Daou wrote on his X account.
The international community weighed in, with the U.N. asserting that conditions for the safe return of residents to border villages are "not yet met," given the ongoing Israeli military presence despite the truce agreement’s withdrawal deadline.
French President Emmanuel Macron urged all parties involved in the cease-fire to uphold their commitments "as soon as possible." During a phone call with his Lebanese counterpart, Joseph Aoun, Macron reiterated France’s unwavering support for Lebanon’s sovereignty. "The commitments made by the parties must be honored as quickly as possible so that Lebanon can regain its sovereignty over its entire territory," the Élysée stated. Macron also commended "the progress achieved over the past two months, particularly thanks to the sustained efforts of the Lebanese Armed Forces in implementing the cease-fire conditions."
In the areas already repopulated by residents of southern Lebanon, efforts are ongoing to locate those still missing from the war with Israel. Rescuers told L’Orient Today that at least 24 bodies had been recovered from the rubble in Aita al-Shaab. Among the victims identified was Hezbollah member Ali Mohammad Ali Mrad, originally from the village of Aitaroun.
In a statement issued Sunday evening, Hezbollah lauded what it described as the "victory" of the resistance against the "Israeli enemy." The group urged "all Lebanese" to support the residents of southern Lebanon. It also called on "the countries guaranteeing the cease-fire agreement," specifically the United States and France, to "fulfill their responsibilities by addressing the violations and crimes of the Israeli enemy and compel its complete withdrawal from our lands."
