2 Killed in Southern Lebanon as Protests against Israeli Presence Erupt for a Second Day

A United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon vehicle drives through a Lebanese army checkpoint in Burj al-Mulik - AFP
A United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon vehicle drives through a Lebanese army checkpoint in Burj al-Mulik - AFP
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2 Killed in Southern Lebanon as Protests against Israeli Presence Erupt for a Second Day

A United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon vehicle drives through a Lebanese army checkpoint in Burj al-Mulik - AFP
A United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon vehicle drives through a Lebanese army checkpoint in Burj al-Mulik - AFP

Firing by Israeli troops killed two people and wounded 17 on Monday in the second day of deadly protests in southern Lebanon, health officials said, as residents displaced by the 14-month war between Israel and Hezbollah attempted to return to villages where Israeli troops remain.

The shooting came a day after 24 people were killed and more than 130 wounded when Israeli troops opened fire on protesters who breached roadblocks set up along the border.

Under a US-brokered ceasefire on Nov. 27, Israeli forces were to withdraw from southern Lebanon, and Hezbollah was to move north of the Litani River by Jan. 26. While the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers had already deployed in several villages before the deadline, Israel remained in over a dozen villages.

The United States and Lebanon announced later on Sunday that the deadline to meet the ceasefire terms had been extended to Feb. 18.

Protests resumed Monday particularly in eastern border villages, where residents again attempted to return home. Israeli troops opened fire, killing one person in the town of Adaisseh and wounding seven others across four southern villages, the Health Ministry reported.

The Israeli military has blamed Hezbollah for pushing people to protest and has said soldiers fired warning shots when demonstrators approached.

In the village of Aitaroun, scores of unarmed residents, some waving Hezbollah flags, marched hand-in-hand or rode motorcycles, escorted by ambulances, bulldozers and Lebanese army tanks. They approached the edge of the town but stopped short of Israeli positions, unable to enter.

“We are coming with our heads held high and crowned with victory to our village, Aitaroun,” said Saleem Mrad, head of the municipality. “Our village is ours, and we will bring it back more beautiful than it was before. We are staying.”

Hassan al-Ahmad, a Aitaroun resident, said, “We have to give our blood and our souls. If there had not been blood spilled, the land would not have been liberated.”

Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that Israel dropped a bomb at the entrance of the southern village of Yaroun to deter residents from proceeding farther.

In the town of Bint Jbeil, Hezbollah members handed out flyers featuring slain leader Hassan Nasrallah with the words, “Victory has arrived.” Some residents waved Hezbollah flags.

Israel blamed the Lebanese army for not deploying to the region fast enough, while the Lebanese military accused Israel of stalling its withdrawal, complicating its deployment efforts.

Some family members who entered border villages Sunday discovered the bodies of their relatives. Israeli strikes have killed over 4,000 people during the war, but Lebanese authorities do not distinguish between fighters and civilians in their death toll.

Since the ceasefire began, Israel has conducted near-daily operations such as house demolitions, shelling and airstrikes in southern Lebanon, accusing Hezbollah of violating ceasefire terms by attempting to move weapons. Lebanon in turn has accused Israel of hundreds of ceasefire violations.



Oxfam Says 80% of Gaza’s Water Infrastructure Is Damaged

Palestinians gather among the rubble of buildings destroyed during the Israeli offensive, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, at Jabalia refugee camp, northern Gaza Strip, February 17, 2025. (Reuters)
Palestinians gather among the rubble of buildings destroyed during the Israeli offensive, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, at Jabalia refugee camp, northern Gaza Strip, February 17, 2025. (Reuters)
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Oxfam Says 80% of Gaza’s Water Infrastructure Is Damaged

Palestinians gather among the rubble of buildings destroyed during the Israeli offensive, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, at Jabalia refugee camp, northern Gaza Strip, February 17, 2025. (Reuters)
Palestinians gather among the rubble of buildings destroyed during the Israeli offensive, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, at Jabalia refugee camp, northern Gaza Strip, February 17, 2025. (Reuters)

The international charity Oxfam says 80% of water and sanitation networks in the Gaza Strip have been damaged or destroyed in the Israel-Hamas war.

The damaged networks, including all six major wastewater treatment plants, have accelerated the spread of water-borne disease as hundreds of thousands of people shelter in tent camps, Oxfam said.

In a report this week, the World Bank estimated it would cost over $50 billion to rebuild Gaza. That’s well over twice the total Palestinian economic output in 2022.

With the future of the ceasefire in doubt, and Israel and Egypt maintaining a blockade of Gaza, it is unclear when or how anything will be rebuilt.