Israeli forces will remain in southern Lebanon after Sunday's deadline set in a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah, as the terms of the deal have not been fully implemented, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office said on Friday, UNN reports citing Reuters.
Details
According to the agreement, which came into force on November 27, Hezbollah weapons and fighters are to be removed from areas south of the Litani River, and Israeli troops are to be withdrawn as the Lebanese military deploys in the region, all within a 60-day period, which is to be completed on Sunday at 4 a.m. local time.
The agreement, brokered by the United States and France, ended more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Iranian-backed Hezbollah. The fighting reached a peak with a major Israeli offensive, which seriously weakened Hezbollah and displaced more than 1.2 million people in Lebanon, the newspaper writes.
Benjamin Netanyahu's office said that the withdrawal of the Israeli military "depends on the deployment of the Lebanese army in southern Lebanon and the full and effective implementation of the agreement, while Hezbollah will retreat beyond the Litani.
"As the ceasefire agreement has not yet been fully implemented by the Lebanese state, the gradual withdrawal process will continue in full coordination with the United States," the statement said.
There was no immediate comment from Lebanon or Hezbollah. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
"Hezbollah said on Thursday that any delay in Israel's withdrawal would be an unacceptable violation of the agreement, which the Lebanese state would have to deal with "by all means and methods guaranteed by international charters.
Addendum
Israel has stated that its campaign against Hezbollah is aimed at ensuring the return home of tens of thousands of people forced to flee their homes in northern Israel due to Hezbollah rocket attacks.
During the conflict, it dealt serious blows to Hezbollah, killing its leader Hassan Nasrallah and thousands of fighters, and destroying much of its arsenal. Hezbollah was further weakened in December when its Syrian ally Bashar al-Assad was overthrown, cutting off its land supply route from Iran, the newspaper said.