Israeli troops had set up a “Yellow Line” in southern Lebanon similar to one they erected to separate their forces from Hamas-controlled territory in Gaza, and had attacked a “terrorist cell” near their forces along the line, the army said on 18th April.
“During the past 24 hours, IDF troops operating south of the Yellow Line in southern Lebanon detected terrorists who contravened the ceasefire understandings, and approached the troops from north of the Yellow Line in a way that posed a threat to the troops,” it said, referring to such a line for the first time since the ceasefire ended fighting.
“To remove the threat… forces attacked the terrorists in multiple locations,” it said, adding the military was empowered to deal with threats.
“The ceasefire does not limit actions in self-defence and elimination of immediate threats,” it said.
In a separate statement later in the day, the military said the air force had destroyed a “terrorist cell” near its forces in southern Lebanon.
“The IDF destroyed a terrorist cell operating near IDF soldiers in southern Lebanon, in the area of the forward defence line (the Yellow Line),” it said.
It did not provide details on how many suspected terrorists were hit by the air strike.
“Also, the IDF attacked an underground shaft south of the forward defence line, and Hezbollah terrorists who were identified entered it. A hit was identified,” it said.
A “Yellow Line”, the invisible line that divides Gaza into two parts – one under Israeli control and the other under Hamas control – has existed since a ceasefire was reached in Gaza on October 10.
A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon was agreed on Thursday to allow for a resolution to six weeks of war between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.
The conflict involved Israeli airstrikes that devastated large areas of Lebanon and a ground invasion in the south.
The war that started on March 2 has left almost 2,300 people dead, according to Lebanese officials, and decimated southern towns and cities, including Nabatiyeh.
Hezbollah suspended its operations following the ceasefire, but said it had its “finger on the trigger” in the event of Israel breaching the ceasefire.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Friday that the “direct negotiations” with Israel are crucial and that the government would “consolidate a ceasefire, secure the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the occupied southern territories, recover prisoners and address outstanding border disputes”.
American President Donald Trump has said the US had “prohibited” Israel from air strikes in Lebanon after the truce, and the US would assist Lebanon to “deal with” Hezbollah.
But Israel is not “yet finished the job” on Hezbollah, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, and it would continue the “dismantling” of the Lebanese militant group hours after the truce began.
