At least two people were wounded after Israel violated the cease-fire "several times" since it went into effect on Wednesday, Lebanese authorities said.
On Thursday, the second day of a cease-fire after more than a year of bloody conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, Lebanon's state news agency reported that Israeli fire targeted civilians in Markaba, close to the border, without providing further details. Israel said it fired artillery in three other locations near the border.
There was no immediate word on casualties from Israel's aerial attack, which came hours after the Israeli military said it fired on people trying to return to certain areas in southern Lebanon. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said two people were wounded.
"The Israeli enemy violated the deal several times," the Lebanese army said, citing air strikes and attacks on Lebanese territory with "various weapons."
It added that "the Army Command is following up on these violations in coordination with the relevant authorities," though no further details were provided.
The 60-day cease-fire is designed to put an end to the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah that began more than one year ago in the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks.
The back-to-back incidents stirred unease about the agreement, brokered by the United States and France, which includes an initial two-month cease-fire in which Hezbollah is to withdraw north of the Litani River and Israeli forces are to return to their side of the border. The buffer zone would be patrolled by Lebanese troops and U.N. peacekeepers.
An Associated Press reporter in northern Israel near the border heard Israeli drones buzzing overhead and the sound of artillery strikes from the Lebanese side.
The Israeli military said in a statement that "several suspects were identified arriving with vehicles to a number of areas in southern Lebanon, breaching the conditions of the cease-fire.” It said troops "opened fire toward them.”
Israeli officials have said forces will be withdrawn gradually as it ensures that the agreement is being enforced. Israel has warned people not to return to areas where troops are deployed and says it reserves the right to strike Hezbollah if it violates the terms of the truce.
A Lebanese military official said Lebanese troops would gradually deploy in the south as Israeli troops withdraw. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.
Lebanese health authorities said Thursday that nearly 4,000 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Lebanon since last year.
The Health Ministry said that 78 people were killed in Israeli attacks on Tuesday, a day before the cease-fire took effect, bringing the overall death toll since last October to 3,961 people.
The ministry added that 266 people were also injured, pushing up the number of injuries to 16,520.
Some 1.2 million people were displaced in Lebanon, and thousands began streaming back to their homes on Wednesday despite warnings from the Lebanese military and the Israeli army to stay out of certain areas. Some 50,000 people were displaced on the Israeli side, but few have returned and the communities near the northern border are still largely deserted.
In Menara, an Israeli community on the border with views into Lebanon, around three-quarters of homes are damaged, some with collapsed roofs and burnt-out interiors. A few residents could be seen gathering their belongings on Thursday before leaving again.
