The Manara settlement in northern Israel is so close to the Lebanese border that patrons of a local pub joke that Hezbollah could see if they were eating sunflower seeds or potato chips with their beers.

The proximity made Manara so vulnerable in the war between Israel and Hezbollah that rockets and explosive drones damaged the majority of homes, turning the tiny settlement into a symbol of the heavy price of fighting. The settlement's 300 residents were among the 60,000 Israelis evacuated by the government from communities along the Lebanese border during the 14-month war.

The ceasefire arrangement between Lebanon and Israel, monitored by the United States, will continue to be in effect until February 18, the White House said late Sunday.

"The Government of Lebanon, the Government of Israel, and the Government of the United States will also begin negotiations for the return of Lebanese prisoners captured after October 7, 2023," the White House added, referring to the Hezbollah fighters who were captured by Israel during the September-November war.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said Sunday that it is "very concerned about reports of Lebanese civilians returning to villages where" Israeli forces are still present and of "casualties due to Israeli fire."

Israeli troops fired at residents of south Lebanon on Sunday, killing 22 and wounding 124, health officials said, as hundreds of people tried to return to their homes on the deadline for Israeli forces to withdraw from the area.

The dead included six women and a Lebanese army soldier, the Health Ministry said in a statement. People were reported wounded in more than a dozen villages in the border area.

The Israeli army on Sunday claimed that Hezbollah had asked residents to return to the southern border villages in defiance of Israel's warnings, after Israeli gunfire killed at least 11 Lebanese citizens and wounded 83 others.

The Israeli army said in a statement that its troops fired warning shots to “remove threats in a number of areas where suspects were identified approaching.”

The Lebanese Army said Sunday that Israeli fire killed one of its soldiers in the south of the country, where hundreds of residents were trying to return to their homes on the deadline for Israel to withdraw.

United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert and UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Lt. Gen. Aroldo Lázaro on Sunday issued a statement commenting on the situation in south Lebanon after Israel refrained from withdrawing its troops prior to the January 27 deadline.

French President Emmanuel Macron has called on all parties to the Lebanon ceasefire to honor their commitments as soon as possible, his office said, as Lebanon accused Israel of "procrastination."

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.

President Joseph Aoun said in a statement addressing the people of southern Lebanon on Sunday that “Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are non-negotiable" and that he is "following up on this issue at the highest levels to ensure your rights and dignity.”

"This is a day of victory for Lebanon and the Lebanese -- a victory of right, sovereignty and national unity. As I share you this great joy, I call on you to show restraint and trust the Lebanese Armed Forces, which are keen on protecting our sovereignty and security and securing your safe return to your homes and towns," Aoun said in a statement.