Lebanese Army Says IDF Actions Delay Southern Deployment

The Lebanese Armed Forces said Israeli activity in southern Lebanon was obstructing its full deployment under last month's U.S.-sponsored framework. It alleged that troops bulldozed homes, destroyed a water project in Markaba, burned olive trees and farmland, and used shelling and automatic-weapons fire in several areas. The army also said fire near its positions in Kfar Tibnit, Nabatieh al-Fawqa and Zawtar al-Gharbiya hindered its missions; no casualties were reported. Under the framework, Lebanese forces are to deploy in zones vacated by Israel and disarm Hezbollah, which has refused to surrender its weapons.