BEIRUT — Three Lebanese citizens were killed and 44 others injured on Sunday by Israeli gunfire as people attempted to return to their homes in southern Lebanon, local media reported.

The state-run National News Agency (NNA) identified the towns where fatalities occurred as Aitaroun, Hula, and Blida.

According to the reports, Israeli forces opened fire on residents who were seeking to access their areas in southern Lebanon.

Tensions escalated when the Israeli army failed to withdraw from Lebanese territory by the 60-day deadline that expired on Sunday.

Under the ceasefire agreement reached on Nov. 27, Israel was required to pull back its troops south of the Blue Line—the de facto border—within 60 days, while the Lebanese army would deploy across southern Lebanon.

The Lebanese army urged civilians to show self-restraint and follow military guidance for their safety.

President Joseph Aoun called on residents of southern Lebanon to “exercise restraint and place their trust in the armed forces,” emphasizing that Lebanon’s “sovereignty and territorial integrity are non-negotiable.”

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati appealed to ceasefire sponsors “to compel the Israel to withdraw from the south.”

Meanwhile, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri condemned the killing of civilians by Israeli forces, describing it as “an urgent call to the international community” to ensure Israel’s full withdrawal.

Local media reported that the Lebanese army deployed additional forces to the town of Dahra in southern Lebanon following Sunday’s violence.

A fragile ceasefire has been in place since Nov. 27, effectively ending a cycle of mutual shelling between Israel and Hezbollah that began on Oct. 8, 2023, and escalated into a broader conflict on Sept. 23, 2024.

Since the start of Israel’s offensive against Lebanon on Oct. 8, 2023, at least 4,068 people—including women, children, and healthcare workers—have been killed, while 16,670 have been injured, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. — Agencies