France Says Israel Violated Lebanon Ceasefire 52 Times So Far: Report

Beirut, Lebanon: France accused Israel of violating the ceasefire deal in Lebanon 52 times in 24 hours, said Israeli media i24 News. The report said three Lebanese citizens were killed in the attack, and Israel has resumed drone flights at low altitude over Beirut.

Expressing possible fall of the fragile ceasefire deal, a high-ranking French official expressed Paris’s concern about a possible collapse of the ceasefire. “The Lebanese are fully committed to maintaining the ceasefire and to prevent Hezbollah from returning to the south, but they need time to prove themselves”, the reported quoted the official as saying.

Responding to the claim, Israeli Occupation Force (IOF) justified the attack. It said that the attack was in response to the violations committed by Hezbollah.

The IOF said that it carried out several strikes in Lebanon on Saturday following identified violations of the ceasefire agreement. One of the strikes, carried out deep in Lebanese territory, targeted a military vehicle operating near a Hezbollah missile production facility.

Also Read: Israel Accused Of Violating Ceasefire Agreement In Lebanon

At the same time, citing French officials, Israel’s Ynet News said Israel had acted without consulting the international committee tasked with monitoring the deal’s compliance.

“The Lebanese are fully committed to maintaining the cease-fire and preventing Hezbollah from reestablishing its presence in southern Lebanon, but they must be given time to prove themselves”, the report quoted French officials as saying.

IOF said that the international monitoring committee would not be fully operational until Monday or Tuesday, and will continue to attack Lebanon until then. It said that the implementation mechanism of the deal “will start to pick up pace” on Monday and Tuesday. An Israeli diplomatic source affirmed that “any violation will be punished with a significant response, that’s what is happening on the ground”.

State-run National News agency of Lebanon reported that Israeli jets launched an airstrike over a southern Lebanese border village of Yaroun, while troops shelled other border towns and villages still under Israeli control.

Also Read: Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire Begins; Here Is What To Know

The news agency reported that Israeli forces opened fire using machine guns at houses in the town of Naqoura in south Lebanon. The attack was latest in the series of Israeli attacks since a ceasefire with Hezbollah went into effect on Wednesday.