2 killed in Israeli strike on Khiam, Mikati asks committee for 'quick and firm' action
An Israeli drone targeted Thursday the square of the town of Khiam, reportedly killing two people, a day after Israeli troops withdrew from the strategic town, handing it back to the Lebanese army.
The Lebanese army had warned civilians to stay out of Khiam until it can clear the area of any unexploded munitions. The strategic hilltop town, located less than 5 kilometers from the border with Israel, saw some of the most intense fighting during the war.
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati called on the U.S., France and the ceasefire monitoring committee to prevent Israeli violations after the strike on Khiam, slamming the deadly strike as "blatant treachery."
"The monitoring committee is required to immediately and firmly address the issue and prevent its reoccurrence," Mikati said.
The Israeli army also detonated houses Thursday in a southern border region between Shamaa and Tayr Harfa.
Israel says the truce deal gives it the right to use military force against perceived ceasefire violations. Israel has launched near-daily strikes, mostly in southern Lebanon, that have killed at least 28 people and wounded 25 others since the ceasefire took effect on Nov. 27. Still, the shaky truce appears to be holding.
Israeli forces withdrew Wednesday from Khiam and handed it back to the Lebanese army in coordination with U.N. peacekeepers, marking an important test of the recent ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah militants.
It was Israel's first pullout from a Lebanese border town captured during this fall’s ground invasion, and comes as part of the initial phase of the ceasefire, which — if it endures — would end nearly 14 months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
The Lebanese army said Wednesday it has deployed units to five positions around the town of Khiam coinciding with the Israeli army’s withdrawal.
Thousands of Lebanese displaced by the war returned home two weeks ago after the ceasefire took hold, driving cars stacked with personal belongings and defying warnings from Lebanese and Israeli troops to avoid some areas.
