Under ceasefire deal, Israeli army must complete its withdrawal from southern Lebanon within 60-day timeframe
Hezbollah called on Lebanon's political leadership on Thursday to act effectively to guarantee the complete Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
A 60-day deadline for Israeli troop withdrawal under a ceasefire agreement with Lebanon is set to expire on Jan. 26.
“The 60-day deadline for the complete withdrawal of the (Israeli) enemy from Lebanese territories is about to expire, necessitating full and comprehensive implementation as stipulated in the ceasefire agreement,” Hezbollah said in a statement.
This “requires everyone, especially Lebanon's political leadership, to pressure the countries sponsoring the agreement to act decisively in these final days to ensure a complete withdrawal, the deployment of the Lebanese army to every inch of Lebanese land, and the swift return of residents to their villages,” it added.
Hezbollah warned that any extension beyond the 60-day period “would be a blatant violation of the agreement and an encroachment on Lebanese sovereignty.”
“Hezbollah will monitor developments in the coming days, expecting a complete withdrawal, and will not accept any violation of the agreement or commitments, nor any attempt to evade them under false pretenses.”
According to the Israeli public broadcaster KAN, the Israeli army informed members of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that it will not be able to fully withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon under the deadline set by the ceasefire agreement.
A fragile ceasefire has been in place between Israel and Lebanon since Nov. 27, ending a period of mutual shelling between Israel and Hezbollah that began on Oct. 8, 2023, and escalated into full-scale conflict on Sept. 23, 2024.
Under the ceasefire agreement, the Israeli army must complete its withdrawal from southern Lebanon within the 60-day timeframe which ends in a few days.
