Displaced Lebanese return as Israeli shelling violates ceasefire in south

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Displaced Lebanese return as Israeli shelling violates ceasefire in south

Published

2 months ago

April 18, 2026

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Al Jazeera correspondents on the ground report that Israeli bulldozers are also continuing home demolitions.

Beirut, Lebanon – Tens of thousands of displaced Lebanese families are returning home despite ongoing reports of Israeli shelling and demolitions of homes near the country’s southern border.

Cars loaded with mattresses, bags and salvaged belongings continued streaming south on Saturday as families went back to see if their homes remained. “There’s destruction and it’s unliveable. We’re taking our things and leaving again,” said Fadel Badreddine, displaced from Nabatieh.

“May God grant us relief and end this whole thing permanently – not temporarily – so we can return to our homes and livelihoods.”

A preliminary assessment by Lebanese authorities conducted before the truce found that nearly 40,000 homes had been destroyed or damaged. Beirut’s southern suburbs were among the worst-hit areas, followed by districts across southern Lebanon. “I came to check on my house and take a few things,” said Samia Lawand, a resident of Beirut’s southern suburbs.

“I found it badly damaged. It was hit in the previous war and again in this one.”

A 10-day ceasefire took effect on Thursday night, raising hopes of a pause after 46 days of intensified Israeli attacks. But uncertainty remains amid widespread destruction and Israeli warnings against returning to parts of southern Lebanon.

Amid the fragile ceasefire, Al Jazeera correspondents on the ground reported that Israeli bulldozers were continuing demolition and land-clearing operations in several areas of southern Lebanon, while Israeli artillery also shelled areas around Beit Lif, al-Qantara and Toul.

Residents living closest to the border with Israel have largely been unable to return, while others have faced delays after Israeli attacks damaged bridges linking areas south of the Litani River with the rest of Lebanon.

During the war, Israeli forces launched a ground invasion several kilometres into Lebanese territory. Israeli officials now say Israel will remain in control of 55 towns and villages.

Al Jazeera’s Tony Cheng said Israel had established what it describes as a “yellow line” security zone, in some places extending up to 10km (6.2 miles) from the border.

“That allows it to control a line of antitank fire, meaning it can bring in heavy artillery and heavy armour into Lebanon,” Cheng said.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the area between the security zone and the Litani River had not yet been cleared of fighters and “weapons”.

“This will have to be done through diplomatic means or continued Israeli military activity after the ceasefire,” he said.

Rare face-to-face talks between Lebanon and Israel are expected to resume in the coming days, though both sides appear to have sharply different priorities.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met Prime Minister Nawaf Salam at Baabda Palace on Saturday, where the two discussed the latest security and diplomatic developments.

They also reviewed efforts to consolidate the ceasefire, including Aoun’s contacts with US President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and several Arab and foreign leaders.

Meanwhile, the government’s decision to engage in talks with Israel risks deepening tensions with Hezbollah.

Both Israel and the Lebanese government have called for Hezbollah to disarm, but the group says its weapons are necessary to defend Lebanon and communities in the south, while it has insisted it will not disarm without agreement on a national defence strategy.

Hezbollah has also linked the ceasefire to broader regional diplomacy involving Iran, with parallel negotiations expected between the US and Iran in the coming days in Islamabad.

📰 மூல செய்தி (Source): https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/18/displaced-lebanese-return-as-israeli-shelling-violates-ceasefire-in-south?traffic_source=rss

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Israel continues strikes on Lebanon despite halting attacks on Iran

Published

7 hours ago

June 9, 2026

alaguraj@gmail.com

Israel continues strikes on Lebanon despite halting attacks on Iran

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged a halt in fighting with Iran, but vowed to respond “with force” to future attacks. Israel says it will continue operations in Lebanon, claiming to focus on Hezbollah targets.

📰 மூல செய்தி (Source): https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/6/9/aje-onl-nf_israel-continues-strikes-on-lebanon-halts-on-iran-080626?traffic_source=rss

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ICC prosecutor suspended pending vote on sexual misconduct claims

Published

7 hours ago

June 9, 2026

alaguraj@gmail.com

Karim Khan rejects suspension as ICC governing body refers him to disciplinary proceedings before member states.

The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, has been suspended from his duties, the tribunal’s governing body said, following a probe into sexual misconduct allegations.

In a statement on Monday, the Bureau of the Assembly of States Parties said it will refer Khan to disciplinary proceedings before all 125 ICC member states, which will vote on his fate in a special session.

“This suspension is not an indication of the final outcome,” it said.

The bureau, which is the executive committee of the court’s oversight body, said it referred Khan after making its own decision on the disciplinary proceedings involving the prosecutor.

It said the decision was based on a report of a United Nations investigation, the advice of an ad hoc panel of judicial experts, and written submissions, but did not give details about what it had decided.

“The decision of the ⁠Bureau and the related documentation will remain confidential,” the statement said.

Khan’s lawyers ⁠said in a statement that he rejected the decision in the strongest terms, and repeated his denial of any wrongdoing.

“The decision is unlawful, procedurally unfair and unsupported by evidence,” the statement said.

Khan, 56, drew international attention when he applied for warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza.

He also sought warrants for Hamas leaders, including Yahya Sinwar, for the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel.

Khan was among the first to be sanctioned by Israel’s ally, the United States, which expressed outrage over the arrest warrants.

He has maintained that the misconduct probe is a politically motivated smear campaign.

According to Reuters and the Associated Press news agencies, the UN probe found a “factual basis” for the allegations of sexual misconduct made by a female aide. However, a three-judge panel selected by the executive committee for a legal assessment of the findings found that the investigation was not conclusive enough.

Khan’s lawyers had previously told Reuters that the judges had unanimously concluded that the “factual findings do not establish misconduct or breach of duty”.

Khan has not led the ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor since ⁠last May, when he took a voluntary leave of absence pending the outcome of the inquiry.

He is the first ICC prosecutor to be formally suspended from his role by the court’s oversight body.

Only the Assembly of States Parties has the authority to remove Khan from office, a move that would require a majority in a secret ballot of its 125 member states.

Sixty-three countries would need to support a measure to remove him.

No date was immediately set for the session.

Khan’s suspension will have little practical impact on the functioning of the court, given his existing leave of absence.

He has already been removed from pleading in the ICC’s most high-profile current case, against former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.

📰 மூல செய்தி (Source): https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/9/icc-prosecutor-suspended-pending-vote-on-sexual-misconduct-claims?traffic_source=rss

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UN questions legality of Israeli forced evacuation orders in Lebanon

Published

7 hours ago

June 9, 2026

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UN questions legality of Israeli forced evacuation orders in Lebanon

A UN spokesman says forced evacuation orders issued across southern and eastern Lebanon are nearly impossible to follow safely, and calls into question whether Israel is complying with international humanitarian law.

📰 மூல செய்தி (Source): https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/6/9/un-questions-legality-of-israeli-forced-evacuation-orders-in-lebanon?traffic_source=rss