Lebanon’s government has opposed any further delay in the Israeli pullout under the ceasefire agreement that ended fighting with Hezbollah.

The move to ban UNRWA from the Palestinian territories came as 2 million people grappled with the destruction of the 15-month Gaza war. Its has alarmed the international community.

The announcement came hours after demonstrations against Israel’s failure to withdraw from southern Lebanon by the original deadline. At least 22 were killed, health officials said.

Israel said Friday it would keep troops in the south beyond the Sunday deadline set out in the U.S.-brokered ceasefire that halted last year’s war with Hezbollah.

The outcome showed the diminished sway of the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group after its devastating war with Israel.

After 12 failed attempts to fill the role since October 2022, Lebanese lawmakers look set to elect army commander Joseph Aoun — the preferred candidate of the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.

“I can’t depend on the Lebanese army to protect us from Hezbollah,” said a displaced resident of the Israeli border city of Kiryat Shimona.

Warplanes have launched “concentrated air and missile strikes” on Idlib province, the Syrian Defense Ministry said.

Analysis: Now that Hezbollah and Israel have agreed to a truce, the question remains of where that leaves Hamas and the war in Gaza, where authorities say 44,000 people have been killed.

Some began returning to their homes in war-torn southern Lebanon, despite warnings from the Israeli military to stay away.