Israel says its troop withdrawal from Lebanon will extend beyond ceasefire deadline
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's office on Friday announced that the withdrawal of its forces from southern Lebanon would continue beyond the 60-day period stipulated in a November ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah. Under the deal brokered by France and the US, the withdrawal deadline expires Monday, January 27.
The Israeli army will not complete its withdrawal from southern Lebanon by a Monday deadline, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's office said on Friday, saying Lebanon has not yet fully enforced the ceasefire agreement.
The deal, brokered by France and the US, ended more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah. The fighting peaked with a major Israeli offensive that displaced more than 1.2 million people in Lebanon and left the Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite group severely weakened.
Under the agreement, which was signed on November 27, Hezbollah weapons and fighters must be removed from areas south of the Litani river. Israeli troops should withdraw as the Lebanese army deploys into the region, all within a 60-day timeframe due to conclude on Monday at 4am local time.
The deal also stipulates that the Lebanese army is to deploy alongside UN peacekeepers in the south as the Israeli army withdraws over the 60-day period.
Both Israel and Hezbollah have accused each other of violations since the truce came into effect in November.
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