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Israeli forces will remain in certain parts of southern Lebanon beyond the agreed deadline to leave on Sunday, said Benjamin Netanyahu, plunging the ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah in a crisis.
Under the terms of the agreement, which entered into force on November 27, Hezbollah weapons and fighters must be withdrawn from the areas south of the Litani river and Israeli troops must withdraw as the Lebanese army is deployed in the region , all within 60 days to be concluded. Sunday at 04:00 local time (02:00 GMT).
The agreement, negotiated by the United States and France, ended more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah supported by Iran. Brian Hughes, spokesperson for the National Security Council of the White House, said on Friday that an extension of the ceasefire was necessary.
The fighting culminated with a large Israeli terrestrial and air offensive which seriously weakened Hezbollah and led to the movement of more than 1.2 million people in Lebanon.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s office said that the Israeli army withdrawal process was “subject to the deployment of the Lebanese army in southern Lebanon and the complete and effective application of the agreement, while Hezbollah withdraws beyond the Litani ”.
“Since the ceasefire agreement has not yet been fully applied by the Lebanese state, the progressive withdrawal process will continue, in full coordination with the United States,” said a statement from the office by M. Netanyahu.
The press release does not specify how long the Israeli forces could stay in southern Lebanon, where the Israeli army claims to have seized the weapons of Hezbollah and dismantled the infrastructure. There was no immediate comments from Lebanon.
Hezbollah said Thursday that any delay in the withdrawal of Israel would constitute an unacceptable violation of the agreement, to which the Lebanese State should react “by all the means and methods guaranteed by international charters”.
Israel said his campaign against Hezbollah was aimed at returning home of tens of thousands of people forced to leave their homes in northern Israel by Hezbollah rocket fire.
He inflicted major blows on Hezbollah during the conflict, murdering his chief Hassan Nasrallah.
Hezbollah was still weakened in December when his Syrian ally, President Bashar al-Assad, was overthrown, thus cutting off his land supply from Iran.
There was no immediate comments from Lebanon or Hezbollah. The White House did not immediately respond to a comment request.
The French Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot, speaking on Thursday at the Davos World Economic Forum, noted that Israel withdrew his forces from Lebanon and that the Lebanese army went to the sites of ambollah and ammunition deposits and Destroyed them, but added that it took more time. To “get results”.
The Norwegian Council for Refugees (NRC) said that any “resumption of hostilities would be a devastating blow for civilians who still fight to rebuild their lives”.
“Regional and international mediators must ensure that this truce evolves towards a sustainable ceasefire, with a firm commitment to protect all civilians and civil infrastructure,” said Maureen Philippon, National Director of NRC in Lebanon, in a press release.
More than 100,000 people are moved through Lebanon and the continuous presence of Israeli troops prevents civilians from returning home, according to the NRC.
Additional Reuters reports
