Israeli army fires, detains fisherman as southerners march home

For the second consecutive Sunday, residents of southern border villages gathered in what they call return marches, demanding to re-enter their towns with the support of the Lebanese Army. From the early hours, crowds converged at the western entrances of Mays al-Jabal and Houla, calling for access to their homes.

Despite the Israeli army opening fire on returnees in Yaroun and deploying a drone to drop a stun grenade, no injuries were reported. However, the situation remains tense, particularly following last Sunday’s incidents, when Israeli forces killed 24 people and wounded 134 others during similar demonstrations.

In Kfar Kila, residents assembled at the passage separating it from Deir Mimas, urging for its liberation despite an Israeli military operation that saw more than ten homes in the town demolished in a controlled detonation.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese Army entered Aitaroun as Israeli forces withdrew, allowing residents to follow and reclaim their village. However, Israeli troops still maintain a presence on the town’s outskirts.

Demonstrators also marched toward Maroun al-Ras, raising flags on trees in defiance of the Israeli army, prompting soldiers to fire shots into the air. Similarly, in Adaisseh, locals gathered at the town’s entrance despite Israeli gunfire aimed at dispersing them.

Separately, an Israeli naval patrol arrested a Lebanese fisherman from the Jahir family at Ras al-Naqoura while he was fishing with his brother. His brother was later released, but the detained fisherman’s fate remains unclear.