The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Wednesday that it had arrested four Hezbollah terrorists who were sneaking south among civilians returning to their homes in southern Lebanon following the onset of a ceasefire agreement.
In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office said:
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz have directed the IDF to not allow the entry of the population to the area of the villages adjacent to the border with southern Lebanon, as per the first stage of implementing the framework of the ceasefire.
The IDF has arrested four Hezbollah militants, including a local commander, who entered the prohibited area, and will continue to take strong action against any violation.
The terms of the ceasefire allow Lebanese civilians to return to southern Lebanon over time, as the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) deploy south of the Litani River and take over from the IDF.
Displaced residents celebrate as they return to their villages following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah that went into effect on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, in Ablah, eastern Lebanon. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
However, the IDF — through Arabic spokesman Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee — is warning civilians that it is not safe to return home yet, and that those who have done so should not move about in the area. Adraee added that there is a nighttime curfew south of the Litani River from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. daily until further notice.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days, available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency, now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.