The Middle East Crisis Israel-Hezbollah

Israel warns against returning to southern Lebanon

Israel's military, the IDF, is warning residents not to return to 60 villages in southern Lebanon, the BBC writes. Those who choose to return are putting themselves at risk, according to the IDF.

It was Wednesday morning that the truce between Israel and Hezbollah came into force. Since then, both parties have accused each other of breaking it.

On Thursday, Israel opened fire on what it called "suspects". Hezbollah, in turn, accused Israel of violating the agreement several times.

Returning to a crater: "It's heartbreaking"

After the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect, the Jawhari family has returned to their home in the town of Baalbek in eastern Lebanon. But where their house used to stand, there is instead a deep crater.

- It is heartbreaking. Our world was turned upside down in a second, says Lina Jawhari to AP.

The house had long been the gathering place for the Jawhari family but was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike on November 1 this year. AP joins the family as they search for belongings among the remains of the house.

- We are sorry that we did not take mother and father's photographs with us. But it never hit us. We thought we would be back after two weeks, says Rouba Jawhari.

Hezbollah leader: "We have won a great victory"

Hezbollah has won a "great victory" against Israel with the ceasefire, says the terrorist group's leader Naim Qassem in a first statement according to AFP.

- We won because we prevented the enemy from destroying Hezbollah [...] and from crushing or weakening the resistance.

Qassem calls it a victory that overshadows the summer of 2006, when Hezbollah launched a month-long war against Israel in which both sides declared victory after the cease-fire.

Furthermore, he says that Hezbollah and the Lebanese army will work closely together to ensure that the ceasefire is maintained, according to Reuters.