Israeli Soldiers Shoot Two Men Near Nabatieh in Southern Lebanon

Israeli soldiers fatally shot two people in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. The incident occurred near the southern Lebanese city of Nabatieh. The Israeli military said several men riding a bulldozer had approached its troops and that soldiers first fired warning shots before acting to remove the threat.

The military described the men as Hezbollah terrorists pretending to be civilians. Hezbollah rejected that account, stating the men were civilians and accusing Israel of a flagrant violation of the cease-fire. Lebanon’s state-run news agency reported the two men had been working with emergency services to open roads and retrieve bodies from rubble.

Background on the Cease-Fire The shooting came a day after Israeli troops began operating under new orders intended to reduce the risk of flare-ups. Fighting has eased in recent days after the latest cease-fire. The Israeli military has said a fortified Hezbollah stronghold on a ridge near Ali al-Taher serves as the group’s southern headquarters.

Hezbollah has used the site to direct fire against Israeli forces and communities in northern Israel, according to the military. Israeli forces moved farther into southern Lebanon in early March after Hezbollah began firing rockets across the border.

The U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon said on Tuesday that it had not observed airstrikes or air-defense fire since Sunday. It added that airspace violations, military activities, and restrictions to freedom of movement continued. Lebanese and Israeli officials were set to meet again on Tuesday for the latest round of U.S.-brokered talks in Washington.

Hezbollah has not participated in the talks and has rejected their legitimacy.