Beirut, Dec 30: At least 45 people have been killed between November 27 and December 22 in Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement, according to a source from the Lebanese army.

During the period, the Israeli army also arrested 17 people from border towns, all of whom were civilians working in agriculture and livestock, the source said on condition of anonymity.

According to the sources the violations include airstrikes, drone and airplane flights over eastern and southern Lebanon, artillery shelling, machine gun fire, incursions, bulldozing of roads and agricultural fields, erecting earthen barriers, as well as burning and crushing vehicles, Xinhua news agency reported .

According to estimates by the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, between November 27 and December 22, Israel launched over 816 land and air attacks against Lebanon, shelling border villages, booby-trapping homes, destroying residential neighborhoods, and blocking roads.

Candice Ardell, deputy director of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) media office, said on Sunday that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) informed its forces that the safety of peacekeepers cannot be guaranteed in the vicinity of the Taybeh area, and patrols must avoid this area.

"The safety of the peacekeepers is a top priority, and we will not do anything to put them at unnecessary risk," Ardell stressed.

"We remind the IDF of their obligations under Resolution 1701 to ensure the safety of the peacekeepers and ensure their freedom of movement throughout the UNIFIL area of operations in southern Lebanon," she added.

In a statement on Saturday, the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture said the latest Israeli attacks destroyed and bulldozed the seed multiplication project built in Wadi al-Hujayr in 2020 with the support of the World Food Program and funding from the European Union.

A ceasefire, brokered by the US and France, went into effect on November 27, aiming to halt nearly 14 months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

The terms of the ceasefire agreement include Israel's withdrawal from Lebanese territory within 60 days, with the Lebanese army deploying on the Lebanese-Israeli border and in the south, taking over security there, and banning any presence of weapons and militants.

Despite the ceasefire agreement, the Israeli army has continued to carry out strikes in Lebanon, though at a significantly reduced intensity, with some attacks resulting in casualties in southern and eastern Lebanon.

(IANS)

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