It is almost certain to miss a Sunday deadline to withdraw from southern Lebanon under a ceasefire deal that ended its war with Hezbollah two months ago.
Under the terms of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire that took effect on November 27, Lebanese forces are to deploy alongside UN peacekeepers in the south as Israeli forces withdraw over a 60-day period that expires on Sunday. .
On Saturday, the Lebanese army said the delay in implementing the agreement was “the result of a delay in withdrawal on the part of the Israeli enemy”.
Israeli forces have abandoned coastal areas of southern Lebanon, but are still present in areas in the east.
The agreement states that Hezbollah will withdraw its forces north of the Litani River – about 30 kilometers (20 mi) from the border – and destroy any remaining military infrastructure in the south.
But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Friday that “the ceasefire agreement has not yet been fully implemented by the Lebanese state” and so the troop withdrawal would continue beyond Sunday’s deadline.
“The withdrawal process is conditional on the deployment of Lebanese forces to southern Lebanon and the full and effective implementation of the agreement, which will see Hezbollah withdraw beyond the Litani River,” a statement from Netanyahu’s office said.
It added that the gradual withdrawal process would continue in full coordination with the United States, “a key ally and monitors of the ceasefire”.
The Lebanese army said it was “ready to continue its deployment as soon as the Israeli enemy withdraws”.
‘scorched earth’
Hezbollah lawmaker Ali Fayed said on Saturday that Israel’s “excuses” were an excuse to “pursue a scorched earth policy” in border areas that would make the return of displaced residents “impossible.”
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who took office earlier this month, spoke on Saturday with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, whose government is also involved in overseeing the ceasefire.
According to a statement from his office, Aoun spoke about “the need to force Israel to respect the terms of the agreement in order to maintain stability in the south.”
Aoun also said Israel should “end its persistent violations, including the destruction of border villages… which will prevent the return of residents”.
The French president called on all parties to the Lebanon ceasefire to honor their commitments as soon as possible, Macron’s office said in a summary of the talks.
The fragile ceasefire generally holds, even though the warring sides have repeatedly accused it of violations.
The Israeli military has continued to carry out attacks it says have targeted Hezbollah fighters, and Lebanese state media have reported that Israeli forces are carrying out demolitions in villages under their control.
The November 27 agreement ended two months of full-scale war, followed by several months of low-intensity exchanges.
Hezbollah began cross-border fire with Israeli forces on October 7, 2023, the day after its Palestinian ally Hamas attacked Israel, triggering the war in Gaza.
Israel stepped up its campaign against Hezbollah in September, launching a series of devastating attacks against the group’s leadership and killing its longtime chief Hassan Nasrallah.
Hezbollah warned on Thursday that “any violation of the 60-day deadline will be considered a gross violation of the ceasefire agreement” and “a violation of Lebanese sovereignty”.
The group avoided any threat to resume attacks on Israel but said the Lebanese state should “use all necessary means to restore the land and free it from the clutches of the occupation”.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
