Israel Warns Residents of Towns on Both Sides of Lebanon Border to Stay Away

The Israeli military issued new warnings to the residents of towns on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border on Friday, telling them not to return to their homes, as the fragile U.S.-brokered cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah appeared to hold despite an Israeli strike on southern Lebanon the day before.

The military released a list of more than 60 towns in southern Lebanon that it said remained off-limits to civilians, including large centers like Bint Jbeil, Marjeyoun and Naqoura, the home of the U.N. peacekeeping force in the country.

The Israeli military “does not intend to target you and therefore you are prohibited at this stage from returning to your homes,” said Avichay Adraee, a military spokesman, in a statement posted online to residents of the towns.

It is far from clear when hundreds of thousands of displaced Lebanese will be able to return to their homes in the south. According to the cease-fire agreement, Israeli forces will gradually withdraw from southern Lebanon over the next 60 days.

Lebanon’s state-run news agency reported on Friday that the Israeli military was enforcing restrictions on returning with gunfire and shelling. It said Israeli tanks shelled a building in the town of Burj al-Moulouk in southern Lebanon, and were also seen moving into the town of Khiam, where earlier in the week the news agency said two journalists were injured by Israeli fire.

The Israeli military declined to comment on Friday on those reports.

The Israeli military also released a more general warning to residents of border towns in Israel, which had been the target of Hezbollah fire for months, telling them the border region remained under a “general closure.” It warned that it could have to intercept rocket fire or other munitions, and so the risk of shrapnel falling into evacuated towns could not be ruled out.