Israeli military warns Lebanese people not to return south of the Litani river

 The Israeli military has issued a warning to residents in southern Lebanon not to move south of the Litani river, despite a ceasefire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah coming into effect.

Israeli soldiers reached the Litani river (at a point 2.5 miles from the Israeli border) on Tuesday for the first time since they began ground operations in the country in September, marking a symbolic milestone in their campaign on the day before the ceasefire began.

“For your safety and the security of your family, it is strictly prohibited to move southward toward the villages that the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) has ordered to evacuate or toward IDF forces in the area. Any movement toward these areas puts you at risk,” the IDF’s Arabic language spokesperson Avichay Adraee said in a post on X on Wednesday.

He said starting from 5 p.m. local time (10 a.m. ET) on Wednesday until 7 a.m. local time (midnight ET) Thursday morning, “moving southward from the Litani river is strictly prohibited.”

“Anyone located north of the Litani river is prohibited from moving south. Anyone located south of the Litani river must remain in place,” the warning said.

“We remind you that the IDF is still deployed in its positions in southern Lebanon under the terms of the ceasefire agreement. Our forces will respond firmly to any movement that violates this agreement,” it added.

Some context: Though the 60-day ceasefire agreed by Israel and Lebanon on Tuesday stipulates that the IDF must withdraw completely from southern Lebanon, the return of the troops will not take place immediately.