On Sunday evening, a powerful explosion rocked the southern outskirts of Mays el-Jabal around 6:30 p.m., following an Israeli airstrike. A few minutes later, gunfire was heard in Blida, coinciding with a speech by Hezbollah's Secretary-General, Naim Qassem.
On the ground, Civil Defense teams recovered the bodies of eight victims, including human remains, in the towns of Khiam and Deir Saryan.
Earlier in the afternoon, after the Israeli forces withdrew, residents of Aitaroun were able to return to their village. The Lebanese army launched a cleanup operation, clearing away the remnants of the conflict.
At noon, the Lebanese army also opened the first fence at the Deir Mimas border to allow residents to enter Kfar Kila. Large numbers of residents also crossed the Wadi Al-Hujair. Earlier, earthen barriers at the entrance of Aitaroun toward Bint Jbeil were also removed.
In the morning, the people of southern Lebanon gathered at the entrance of Kfar Kila as they prepared to enter their villages.
Meanwhile, Israeli army forces opened fire on residents returning to the town of Yaroun, Odaisseh and Hula, where an Israeli Merkava tank was stationed behind the earthen barrier at the entrance of the western neighborhood, in an attempt to prevent them from going back. The Israeli army also continued to carry out explosions in Rab al-Thalathin.
Israeli soldiers kidnapped two fishermen, M.J. and A.J., in the Ras el-Abiad area off the town of Naqoura. The latter was released, while the former remains in custody.
In this context, Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee issued an “urgent” announcement on Sunday morning, addressing the people of Lebanon, particularly those in the south, warning that anyone moving southward would be putting themselves in danger.
In a post on X, he stated that the Israeli army “does not intend to harm you. For your safety, you are prohibited from returning to your homes in the concerned areas until further notice. The implementation period of the agreement has been extended, and the army remains deployed in the field, making movement southward forbidden.”
Later, Adraee issued a second warning, stating, “As you know, the Israeli army has recently repositioned itself in various locations in southern Lebanon in accordance with the ceasefire agreement. This move aims to enable the gradual deployment of the Lebanese army and the dismantling and removal of Hezbollah's personnel and infrastructure from southern Lebanon. I remind you that the agreement period has been extended, and Israeli forces remain deployed on the ground. The deployment process is occurring gradually, and in some sectors, it is delayed and requires more time to ensure Hezbollah cannot reestablish its presence on the ground.”
He added, “In the near future, we will continue this approach and will inform you about the areas where you can return. Until then, we ask you to wait and not allow Hezbollah to exploit you in an attempt to cover up the devastating consequences of its irresponsible decisions at the expense of Lebanon’s security. Until further notice, all previously issued instructions remain in effect.”
#عاجل إلى سكان الجنوب اللبناني
— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) February 2, 2025
🔸كما تعلمون، أعاد جيش الدفاع انتشاره في الفترة الأخيرة في مواقع مختلفة من جنوب لبنان، عملًا ووفقًا لاتفاق وقف إطلاق النار وذلك بهدف تمكين انتشار فعال للجيش اللبناني تدريجيًا، وتفكيك وإبعاد حزب الله الإرهابي بعناصره وبنيته التحتية، من جنوب لبنان.… https://t.co/Yww0fPqvPI
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