Israeli forces said Monday that they would maintain their troops in five locations in southern Lebanon after a full withdrawal deadline on Tuesday. The announcement brought fears of a revival of violence in southern Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah.
After more than a year of war, both sides were conditioned in late November to hand over Israeli and southern Hezbollah by the end of January. Hezbollah has long ruled the area, but Israel captured most of it after invading Lebanon in September.
In late January, mediators announced a three-week extension of the contract, giving Israel more time to complete the withdrawal. The truce has been frequently drilled by bursts of violence, including an Israeli airstrike that killed Hamas leaders in southern Lebanon on Monday, but neither side has returned to full-scale war.
Well, once the Israeli forces announce that they will maintain Lebanese troops beyond the February 18 deadline, the illusion of conflict once again approaches.
“We can leave a small amount of troops temporarily deployed at five strategic points along the Lebanese border to protect our residents and immediately make sure there is no threat,” a military spokesman said. One Lt. Colonel Nadab Shoshani gave a briefing to reporters on Monday afternoon.
Colonel Shoshani listed several locations that stretch along most of the 75-mile border, including those that crossed the border from an Israeli village that was severely damaged by the Hezbollah Rocket fire during the war. He said Hezbollah did not live on its own side of the November agreement, pose a threat to Israeli residents in those regions. He refused to say how long the occupation would last. It is unclear to what extent Hezbollah exists in these regions.
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem vehemently opposed the idea that Israel would maintain its troops within Lebanon during his speech on Sunday. However, he stopped pledging to resume his attacks on Israel.
“Israel must withdraw entirely on February 18th,” Kasem said. “This is the agreement.”
“Everyone knows how the profession is being handled,” he warned without giving details.
The war between Hezbollah and Israel broke out shortly after Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023, when Lebanese militia began to fire in solidarity and solidarity in Israeli military status.
The conflict erupted thousands on both sides of the border, remaining primarily involved in missile and rocket strikes before and after the war, until the eruption of full frontal and frontal warfare and wide Israeli artillery fires in late 2024.
Israel has invaded a massive belt in southern Lebanon in a move that killed much of Hezbollah's leadership in its air campaign and collectively evacuated more than a million people in Lebanon.
Israel said its intention was to ensure that Hezbollah does not pose a threat to its northern residents. Israel, of which around 60,000 were forced to leave their homes due to the fires of a Hezbollah rocket.
Gabby Sobelman contributed the report.
