Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israeli troops will not comply with the Sunday deadline for withdrawal from southern Lebanon, putting the ceasefire with Hezbollah in jeopardy.
“The withdrawal process of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) is conditional on the deployment of the Lebanese army in southern Lebanon and the full and effective implementation of the agreement, while Hezbollah withdraws beyond the Litani River,” the statement said.
It stated that Israel considers the ceasefire “not yet fully implemented” and that the “gradual withdrawal process will continue, in full coordination with the United States (U.S.).”
While Israel accused Lebanon of not fulfilling its part of the agreement, particularly regarding the deployment of Lebanese armed forces south of the Litani River, about 35 kilometers north of the border, Lebanon also accused Israel of violating the ceasefire.
The decision to delay the withdrawal, made during a meeting of the Israeli government on Thursday evening, followed several weeks of briefings suggesting that Israel intends to remain in at least five outposts in Lebanon.
According to the agreed-upon ceasefire, which ended the war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, Israeli forces were supposed to complete their withdrawal within 60 days, by January 26th.
Israeli Ambassador to the U.S., Michael Herzog, explained the reasons in an interview last week, stating that the Lebanese army needs more time to deploy south of the Litani River, suggesting that the agreement is not set in stone.
“The agreement included a 60-day goal for the completion of the IDF’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon and for the Lebanese army to take its place, but it is not carved in stone and was formulated with a degree of flexibility. We are in discussions with the Trump administration about extending the time needed to allow the Lebanese army to fully deploy and fulfill its role under the agreement. These discussions are ongoing,” said Herzog.
Despite the request for a delay, it remained unclear whether the Trump administration had agreed to the request.
Israel’s reluctance to leave Lebanon comes during a difficult phase of the first stage of a fragile week-old truce in Gaza, with a large-scale Israeli operation underway in the occupied West Bank and a profound lack of clarity regarding Trump‘s Middle East policy plans, Klix.ba writes.
