Hours after a US-declared ceasefire took effect, the reality on the ground in southern Lebanon appears markedly different from the expectations set by Israel’s political leadership. Despite explicit promises by Defense Minister Israel Katz that bridges over the Litani River would be destroyed and civilian movement southward blocked, rapid repair efforts in the early hours of Friday morning enabled the resumption of traffic.
The main developments were reported in the coastal town of al-Qasmiya in the Tyre area. Bridges in the area, which the IDF had systematically targeted to prevent the movement of Hezbollah terrorists and weapons, were restored overnight. According to reports from Lebanon, civilians initially began reopening routes manually, and were later joined by Lebanese Army engineering equipment.
After approximately seven hours of intensive work, the bridge was partially reopened to vehicular traffic on Friday morning. Similar footage emerged from the Az-Zrariyah bridge in the Tayr Felsay district, where traffic resumed and vehicles were seen cautiously crossing southward. Hours earlier, IDF Arabic-language spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Avichay Adraee issued a warningto residents of southern Lebanon not to return to localities south of the Litani River, even after the ceasefire agreement went into effect. (Ed note: Remember that the Lebanses Army is not the same as the group called Hezbollah.) (Read More)
