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Israeli forces to stay in south Lebanon past withdrawal deadline

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A residential area devastated by the war between Israel and Hezbollah, in the southern coastal town of Naqura, on the border with Israel, on January 22, 2025. /CFP
A residential area devastated by the war between Israel and Hezbollah, in the southern coastal town of Naqura, on the border with Israel, on January 22, 2025. /CFP

A residential area devastated by the war between Israel and Hezbollah, in the southern coastal town of Naqura, on the border with Israel, on January 22, 2025. /CFP

Israeli forces will remain in southern Lebanon beyond a 60-day deadline stipulated in a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah because its terms have not been fully implemented, the Israeli prime minister's office said on Friday.

Under the agreement, which took effect on November 27, Hezbollah's weapons and fighters must be removed from areas south of the Litani River, and Israeli troops are required to withdraw as the Lebanese military deploys into the region – all within a 60-day time frame, meaning by Sunday at 4 a.m.

The deal, brokered by the United States and France, ended more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah. The fighting peaked with a major Israeli offensive that left Hezbollah severely weakened and displaced more than 1.2 million people in Lebanon.

In a statement, Netanyahu's office said the Israeli military's withdrawal process is "contingent on the Lebanese army deploying in southern Lebanon and fully and effectively enforcing the agreement, while Hezbollah withdraws beyond the Litani."

"Since the ceasefire agreement has not yet been fully enforced by the Lebanese state, the gradual withdrawal process will continue, in full coordination with the United States."

The statement did not specify how much longer Israeli forces might remain in southern Lebanon, where the Israeli military says it has been seizing Hezbollah weapons and dismantling infrastructure used by the Shiite armed group.

There was no immediate comment from Lebanon.

Hezbollah hammered in conflict with Israel

A Hezbollah official, asked for comment, referred Reuters to a statement issued by the group on Thursday. It said that any delay of the withdrawal would be an unacceptable breach of the agreement and place the onus on the Lebanese state to act. The statement further said the state would have to deal with such a violation "through all means and methods guaranteed by international charters."

The Israeli military said in a statement that it remains deployed in southern Lebanon and is "continuing to operate in accordance with the ceasefire understandings between Israel and Lebanon."

Israeli troops have conducted strikes against Hezbollah weapons storage facilities and active observation posts in southern Lebanon over the past few days, it said.

The White House said "a short, temporary ceasefire extension is urgently needed," citing President Donald Trump's commitment to both ensuring Israeli citizens can return to their homes and supporting the Lebanese government.

"We are pleased that the IDF has started the withdrawal from the central regions, and we continue to work closely with our regional partners to finalize the extension," said National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes.

Israel said its campaign against Hezbollah aimed to secure the return of tens of thousands of people forced to leave their homes in northern Israel by Hezbollah's rocket fire. It inflicted major blows on Hezbollah during the conflict, killing its leader Hassan Nasrallah and thousands of the group's fighters, while destroying much of its arsenal.

Hezbollah was further weakened in December when its Syrian ally, Bashar al-Assad, was toppled from power by rebels, cutting its overland supply route from Iran.

Source(s): Reuters
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