A Lebanese soldier looks on in the southern Lebanese village of Khiam on December 23, 2024 after the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the area under a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah. (Photo by AFP)

Beirut, December 31 (RHC)-- The Lebanese army says Israeli forces have advanced into the towns of Qantara and Taybeh in the Marjayoun district in southern Lebanon, where they burned several homes in violation of a ceasefire agreement with the Hezbollah resistance movement.

“In the context of the ongoing violations by the Israeli enemy of the ceasefire agreement and its assaults on the sovereignty of Lebanon and its citizens, hostile forces today invaded Qantara and Tayba, and proceeded to burn several homes there,” the army said in a statement on Sunday.

It added, “A joint patrol of the Lebanese Army and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) headed to the site of the incursion to monitor the situation, in coordination with the quintet committee overseeing the ceasefire agreement.”

It noted that the “hostile” forces began to withdraw from the two areas and the Lebanese army is trying to reopen roads blocked by the Israeli enemy there.

Israel was forced to accept the ceasefire with Hezbollah after suffering heavy losses following almost 14 months of fighting and failing to achieve its goals in its aggression on Lebanon.

The truce deal came into effect on November 27.  It will last for 60 days in the hope of reaching a permanent cessation of hostilities.  Under the agreement, an international monitoring committee, headed by the U.S., is tasked with overseeing the implementation of the ceasefire.

On Saturday, the Israeli army committed 11 violations of the ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah, bringing the total number of Israeli breaches since last month to 330.  The Israeli forces have violated the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon 319 times by the end of Friday under the pretext of “facing threats from Hezbollah”.

According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, at least 32 people have been killed and 38 injured in Israeli attacks since the implementation of the ceasefire agreement.

Hezbollah opened a support front for Palestinians in Gaza only a day after Israel unleashed its war against the besieged territory in October 2023, launching numerous retaliatory attacks against Israeli targets in the occupied lands.