Israeli army acknowledges killing Hezbollah operatives despite cease-fire agreement

JERUSALEM

The Israeli army said Wednesday that it killed Hezbollah operatives and detained others in southern Lebanon despite a cease-fire agreement with Lebanon.

The cease-fire deal took effect early Wednesday to end more than 14 months of fighting between the Israeli army and Hezbollah.

"The soldiers identified suspects who approached no-go zones, detained them, and fired warning shots. We also killed 'terrorists' today,” Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said during a press briefing at the Defense Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv.

He noted that Israeli warplanes are continuing to patrol Lebanese airspace, warning that “Any violation of the agreement will be met with fire.”

“This morning, the cease-fire with Lebanon came into effect,” Hagari said, emphasizing that the Israeli military's role is to enforce the agreement.

Earlier in the day, two journalists were injured by Israeli army fire in the southern Lebanon town of Khiam while covering the return of displaced civilians to the area, the state news agency NNA reported.

Hagari said that Israeli forces killed Hezbollah operatives and arrested others in southern Lebanon, without providing further details.

“Fighter jets, under the direction of the Intelligence Directorate, struck Hezbollah's largest precision-guided missile production site in Bekaa's Janta area,” he added.

The military spokesperson said that Israeli forces hit a compound for the Radwan Unit, Hezbollah’s elite military force, in the same area.

As of yet, Hezbollah has not responded to the Israeli military’s claims. However, in its first statement following the cease-fire, the group reiterated its commitment to monitoring the Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, with its fighters remaining on high alert.

According to the terms of the cease-fire, Israel will withdraw its forces south of the Blue Line in a phased manner while the Lebanese army deploys its forces in southern Lebanon within a period that doesn't exceed 60 days.

The implementation of the agreement will be overseen by the US and France. However, details on enforcement mechanisms remain unclear.

Over 3,800 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Lebanon and over 1 million displaced since last October, according to Lebanese health authorities.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio