Berri urges compelling Israel to withdraw as army says escorting residents into towns

The Lebanese army said Sunday that it was escorting civilians into some southern Lebanese border towns and called on residents to follow military instructions to ensure their safety, as Israeli gunfire killed at least three of the returnees and wounded 44 others.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, whose Amal Movement is allied with Hezbollah and who served as an interlocutor between the group and the U.S. during ceasefire negotiations, said in a statement that Sunday's bloodshed "is a clear and urgent call for the international community to act immediately and compel Israel to withdraw from occupied Lebanese territories."

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati for his part called for the backers of the ceasefire agreement -- a group that includes the United States and France -- "to force the Israeli enemy to withdraw."