Israel requested 30 more days to withdraw from Lebanon, citing Hezbollah violations

Israel asked the United States for an additional 30 days to withdraw its troops from southern Lebanon, according to Israeli media on Thursday, days before the 60-day deadline stipulated in the fragile ceasefire agreement. with Hezbollah.

Under the terms of the November 27 truce agreement that ended a war started by Hezbollah, the Israeli army is required to cede all its positions in southern Lebanon to the Lebanese army by the 26 January. retreat north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the border with Israel.

However, in recent weeks, Israel felt that the Lebanese army had deployed too slowly in the region, thus delaying the IDF’s withdrawal. IDF soldiers continue to find caches of Hezbollah weapons in areas covered by the truce, and army officials reportedly said the Lebanese army was helping the Iran-backed terror group in some places.

Under the ceasefire agreement, Israel has the right to act against immediate threats posed by Hezbollah, but must refer complaints about longer-term threats to a monitoring committee made up of representatives of United States, France, Lebanon and the international observation force UNIFIL.

Israel asked the committee for additional time to fully withdraw, but over the next three days it will withdraw from areas in the north and west, Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, affiliated with Hezbollah, said.

New Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has been in contact with US and French officials, urging them to ensure that Israel withdraws on time, according to the report. Sources said Lebanese officials informed their American counterparts that the failure of the Israeli withdrawal would hamper the deployment of the Lebanese army in these areas. However, the report does not address the issue of Hezbollah’s withdrawal.

Responding to Israel’s request, Hezbollah called on “everyone, especially the Lebanese political authorities”, to put pressure on the countries overseeing the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon in order to guarantee the withdrawal of the IDF at the end of the 60-day truce, i.e. Sunday. .

In a statement, Hezbollah said that if Israel remained in southern Lebanon beyond the 60 days, it would be “considered a blatant violation of the agreement and an attack on Lebanese sovereignty.”

Citing sources close to the matter, the Haaretz daily also reported that the United States and France were discussing the requested extension with Israeli and Lebanese officials. The source estimated that France sees no problem in granting this extension, as long as the other parties agree.

Earlier, Army Radio reported that US President Donald Trump’s administration was less inclined to grant a 30-day reprieve than was his predecessor Joe Biden, and wanted the full withdrawal to be completed by Sunday.

Israel’s outgoing ambassador to the United States, Michael Herzog, nevertheless said on the radio that he believed Jerusalem and Washington would “reach an agreement” on the issue and that the extension would be granted.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was scheduled to hold a security cabinet meeting on Thursday evening on the withdrawal date.

The heads of northern regional councils called on the IDF to remain in Lebanon to ensure the safe return of tens of thousands of residents who were forced to evacuate due to Hezbollah attacks.

The head of the Mateh Asher regional council, Moshe Davidovich, told the Kan public broadcaster that he favored keeping the Israeli army in a number of key locations “until we understand that Hezbollah will not return to the south of the country (Lebanon), until we understand that an arsenal of weapons is no longer spreading to the northern border of Israel.”

“At the moment it is not correct to withdraw,” he said. “A firm IDF stance on both sides of the border will give us, the council leaders, the ability to build confidence among our residents and tell them that they can return home without fear. »

Meanwhile, IDF soldiers operating in southern Lebanon continued to find Hezbollah weapons and infrastructure, the army said.

The Israeli military said troops of the 7th Armored Brigade, during scans in southern Lebanon, found Russian-made anti-tank missiles, grenades and assault rifles.

Additionally, during a joint operation with the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit, the army said troops discovered several tunnels belonging to Hezbollah, some of which were used as weapons depots.

Weapons were seized and infrastructure demolished.

The Israeli army said it was still deployed in parts of southern Lebanon in accordance with the ceasefire agreement.

Israel has accused Hezbollah of violating the ceasefire hundreds of times, including moving munitions, attempting to attack Israeli soldiers and preparing to launch rockets toward northern Israel.

As the exit deadline approaches, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar told a visiting UN envoy to Lebanon on Wednesday that Israel would respect the deal as long as its security was maintained.

“I stressed that Israel is committed to implementing the ceasefire agreement, but will not compromise on its security,” Sa’ar said of her meeting with the special coordinator of United Nations for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis. “There is an opportunity for Lebanon to free itself from Iranian occupation and build a better future. »

The war in Lebanon was sparked when Hezbollah, without provocation, began shooting at Israel on a near-daily basis on October 8, 2023, a day after the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hamas stormed the southern Israel to kill some 1,200 people and take 251 hostages. start the war in Gaza.