Israel, Hezbollah accuse each other of violating ceasefire

The Israel Defense Forces fired on a suspect vehicle across the Lebanese border that entered an area supposed to be off-limits per the ceasefire agreement, according to a Wednesday statement by the IDF. Military personnel stopped the suspects from advancing and were ready to fire on anyone else breaking the peace terms, the statement said.

Hezbollah operatives who approach Israeli troops, the Israeli border, or villages within the marked area will be struck, Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi reiterated in a Wednesday statement. Israel acted in Lebanon with determination, and Israel is ready still to enforce the ceasefire terms, he continued. Despite the ceasefire, the IDF warned Lebanese civilians against returning so soon to southern villages as a safety measure. State-run media in Lebanon reported that two military members were injured by Israeli fire.

What has Lebanon said? Lebanese Parliamentarian and Hezbollah member Hassan Fadlallah accused Israel of attacking civilians returning to villages near the southern border, according to Reuters. Israel is making threats to stop villagers from returning and Hezbollah leaders are meeting to decide how to respond, Fadlallah told reporters on Thursday.

What are the ceasefire terms? Israel and the terror group agreed to a two month ceasefire earlier this week that bars Hezbollah from attacking Israel, or from stockpiling resources for future attacks. The terror group was also barred from building infrastructure during the ceasefire. At the same time, Israel agreed to gradually withdraw forces from southern Lebanon, allowing civilians to return to the area. Israel may still act freely to enforce the peace agreement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office wrote Tuesday.

Dig deeper: Read Josh Schumacher’s report for more on the ceasefire deal brokered by the U.S. President Joe Biden