Israel confirms troops to remain at 'five positions' in south Lebanon

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Tuesday confirmed that troops remain in "five positions" in south Lebanon past the pullout deadline, vowing action against any truce violation by the militant group Hezbollah.

The military "will remain in a buffer zone in Lebanon with five control positions and will continue to act forcefully and uncompromisingly against any Hezbollah violation," said Katz in a statement shortly after an extended deadline for Israel to withdraw from Lebanon under the November 27 truce deal expired.

Under the truce deal brokered by Washington in November, Israeli troops were granted 60 days to withdraw from southern Lebanon, where they had waged a ground offensive against Hezbollah since early October.

That deadline was extended to February 18, but Israeli and Lebanese officials and foreign diplomats had anticipated that the military would retain some troops at parts of the Lebanese side of the border.

Tens of thousands of people were displaced from northern Israel by Hezbollah rocket fire, and more than a million people in Lebanon fled Israeli air strikes in the yearlong war conflict playing out in parallel with the Gaza conflict.

Hezbollah said on Sunday that Israeli forces still in Lebanon after Tuesday would be considered an occupying force.

Israel occupied southern Lebanon for 22 years. It withdrew in 2000 after continued attacks on its positions in occupied Lebanese territory by Hezbollah, which was founded in 1982 to counter Israel's invasions.

In the latest conflict, Israel and Hezbollah exchanged fire for nearly a year, primarily around the border. Israel significantly escalated in September, eliminating much of Hezbollah's top leadership in air strikes and sending ground troops into south Lebanon.

(With input from agencies)