Conditions are 'not yet in place' for the safe return of Lebanese citizens to southern Lebanon, according to a joint statement by the top UN official in Lebanon and the chief of the UN peacekeeping mission to Lebanon on Sunday.
They said that the timelines set under the US-brokered ceasefire that halted last year's war with Hezbollah were not met, urging recommitment from both Israel and Lebanon.
The statement comes after Israeli forces reportedly killed three people and wounded 44 others trying to return to homes in south Lebanon, where Israeli troops remained on the ground after a deadline for their withdrawal passed on Sunday.