Southern Lebanon friction tests June withdrawal framework
Israeli troop movements and artillery shelling have resumed in southern Lebanon, raising questions about the implementation of the US-brokered deconfliction agreement.
Israeli military activity in southern Lebanon intensified on Friday, with artillery shelling injuring two civilians in the Chaqra area of the Bint Jbeil district. The injured were transported to Tebnin hospital, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency. Additional shells landed in Wadi Nahla on the outskirts of Shuqra, indicating a broadening scope of the recent exchanges.
The most significant diplomatic test occurred at Deir Mimas in Marjayoun, where Israeli forces engaged in a standoff with the Lebanese army. Two Israeli tanks advanced towards the town and halted before a dirt barricade where Lebanese army vehicles were stationed. The Lebanese military stated that its patrol had established a temporary observation post at the location on 10 September, in coordination with the US-backed trilateral body responsible for managing deconfliction between the two nations.
Following the confrontation, which the Lebanese army described as a state of alert after Israeli forces threw sound bombs near the post, Israeli troops withdrew to their position in the neighbouring Tell en-Nhas. Lebanese troops subsequently returned to their main base in the town after contacting the deconfliction group. This sequence of events highlights the ongoing challenges in operationalising the agreed security zones.
Elsewhere in the region, Israeli military units advanced from the municipality of al-Tiri towards the outskirts of Hadatha in the Bint Jbeil district. Artillery shelling also struck the municipalities of al-Mansouri and Majdal Zoun. In a separate incident, Israeli forces set fire to the public hospital in Meiss el-Jabal, though the extent of damage and casualties was not immediately reported.
These developments occur against the backdrop of a US-brokered framework agreement reached in June, which provides for a gradual Israeli withdrawal and the deployment of the Lebanese army into vacated areas. Israel has occupied a swath of southern Lebanon since the war with Hezbollah began in March. Despite the diplomatic framework, Israeli forces continue to occupy areas in the region and conduct attacks, suggesting that the transition to Lebanese military control remains fragile.
The cumulative toll of the conflict continues to rise. Since 2 March, Israeli attacks have killed at least 4,386 people and wounded 12,407 others. Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that overall casualties from Israeli attacks since the war on Gaza began in October 2023 have reached 8,953 killed and 30,643 injured.
