Five days after ceasefire, both Israel & Lebanon allege violations

At least two people were killed on Monday in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon, the Lebanese authorities said, as a ceasefire ending more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah appeared increasingly fragile.

The truce, which came into effect early on November 27, stipulates that Israel will not carry out offensive military operations against civilian, military or other state targets in Lebanon, while Lebanon will prevent any armed groups, including Hezbollah, from carrying out operations against Israel.

Lebanon and Israel have already traded accusations of breaches, and on Monday Lebanon said the violations had turned deadly. One person was killed in an Israeli air attack on the southern Lebanese town of Marjayoun, Lebanon said.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar denied that his country had breached the accord, saying the problem lay with Hezbollah moving weapons and crossing south of the Litani river. The Israeli military said Hezbollah fired into a disputed border zone on Monday, its first attack since a ceasefire took hold last week, after Lebanon accused Israel of violating the truce more than 50 times in recent days. Hezbollah said its attack was a warning to Israel over the ceasefire violations.

33 hostages killed

Palestinian militant group Hamas said on Monday that 33 hostages had been killed during the almost 14-month-old war with Israel in Gaza, without clarifying their nationalities.