Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon opened fire on civilians, killing twenty-two people, as we read in the New York Times:
But as the original deadline passed on Sunday for the withdrawal of Israeli troops and the forces of the militant group Hezbollah from southern Lebanon, a very different scenario was taking shape. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said Israeli forces killed at least 22 people and injured 120 in southern Lebanon, making Sunday the deadliest day in the country since the war ended in November.
The Israeli military said in a statement late on Sunday that it had fired “warning shots in order to eliminate threats” — a formulation that suggested the shots may have been more than just warnings. It said that there had been “dozens of rioters” in the area. The military also said its soldiers had spotted a “a vehicle with Hezbollah flags” and that its forces had “operated in order to remove the threat.”
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Experts warn that any prolonged Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon could breathe new life into Hezbollah, a group that was founded to liberate Lebanon from Israeli occupation and that has portrayed itself as the only force capable of protecting Lebanon’s borders.
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In the southern town of Aita al-Shaab, much of which now lies in ruin, residents walked through rubble-strewn streets and by flattened buildings. Among them was Mohamed Srour, the town’s mayor, who had been displaced more than a year ago after the strikes between Hezbollah and Israel began.
He said that Israeli soldiers had not yet fully withdrawn from the town and that they were firing sporadically at civilians. The claims could not be independently verified. Still, Mr. Srour remained resolute.
Jesus Christ is King
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