Israel's forces ambush Houla residents as tensions rise ahead of February 18 withdrawal deadline

Report by Edmond Sassine, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

For a brief moment, residents of Houla believed Israeli forces had pulled out of their town. As they walked through the devastation of their homes and villages, there was no sign of military presence. 

However, the situation quickly changed when Israeli soldiers emerged from the wreckage and opened fire on civilians.

A female resident was able to see her house after a long wait, only to be ambushed by Israeli forces.

As the wounded were pulled back and residents retreated, some reporters were documenting what was happening until the shooting began. These moments were captured by journalist Amal Khalil.

Houla has returned to square one and is awaiting the February 18 deadline for Israeli withdrawal. In stark contrast, Markaba's residents, for the first time, arrived without encountering Israeli forces and without gunfire or casualties.

With two days left until the second Israeli withdrawal deadline, the Lebanese army has not received any information from the ceasefire monitoring committee about its deployment in the still-occupied villages.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army continues its incursions and activities in liberated areas, such as in the Sadana area of Kfarchouba.

Israeli forces in the still-occupied villages and in areas where the Lebanese army has deployed are setting up positions on hills, with reports indicating five locations. However, field observations suggest there may be additional positions.