45 killed in Israel’s ceasefire violations: Lebanese army

Beirut: At least 45 people have been killed between November 27 and December 22 in Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement, according to a source from the Lebanese army.

During the period, the Israeli army also arrested 17 people from border towns, all of whom were civilians working in agriculture and livestock, the source said on condition of anonymity.

According to the sources the violations include airstrikes, drone and airplane flights over eastern and southern Lebanon, artillery shelling, machine gun fire, incursions, bulldozing of roads and agricultural fields, erecting earthen barriers, as well as burning and crushing vehicles, Xinhua news agency reported .

According to estimates by the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, between November 27 and December 22, Israel launched over 816 land and air attacks against Lebanon, shelling border villages, booby-trapping homes, destroying residential neighborhoods, and blocking roads. Candice Ardell, deputy director of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) media office, said on Sunday that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) informed its forces that the safety of peacekeepers cannot be guaranteed in the vicinity of the Taybeh area, and patrols must avoid this area. “The safety of the peacekeepers is a top priority, and we will not do anything to put them at unnecessary risk,” Ardell stressed. “We remind the IDF of their obligations under Resolution 1701 to ensure the safety of the peacekeepers and ensure their freedom of movement throughout the UNIFIL area of operations in southern Lebanon,” she added.  (IANS)

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