Israel looks for another extension for the withdrawal of Lebanon, says Source

Israel is looking for another extension of the deadline for the withdrawal of its southern troops, says a western diplomatic source, a request that will probably generate new concerns in a country with an Israeli occupation history.

The Israeli forces had to retire next week, but the source told the BBC Israel that it wanted its army to stay in five positions there for another 10 days, until February 28.

The high fire agreement that ended 14 months of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah was negotiated by the United States and France and entered into force on November 27.

It requires the withdrawal of the Israeli troops of the south of Lebanon and the elimination of Hezbollah’s combatants and weapons from there as well.

At the same time, thousands of Lebanese soldiers were expected to be deployed in the region where, for decades, Hezbollah has been the dominant force.

The high fire has already extended once, the initial deadline was on January 26, after Israel said that the Lebanese state had not fully implemented the agreement. Lebanon accused Israel of delaying his withdrawal.

One of the priorities of the new Lebanese government is to restore the country’s territorial sovereignty, and the authorities strongly reject another delay.

President Joseph Aoun insisted on Wednesday that “there was no truth” reports that another extension had been agreed, said his office. “Repeatedly emphasized the insistence of Lebanon in the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops” for Tuesday.

The continuous presence of Israeli troops is a source of concern for many in Lebanon, since Israel occupied the south of the country for 18 years, between 1982 and 2000.

In spite of the fire, Israel has continued to point to Hezbollah, and has promised to carry out more attacks against the group backed by Iran to avoid rearming or rebuilding its forces.

On Wednesday, Israeli combat aircraft broke the sound barrier at low altitude over the Beirut capital for the first time since the fire began.

Hezbollah, which is a militant, political and social movement, severely weakened the conflict with Israel, although he continues to enjoy significant support among Shiite Muslims in Lebanon.

The high fire agreement was widely considered as a surrender by the group, after seeing its exhausted arsenal infrastructure and weapons, and hundreds of combatants and key figures killed, including the leader of a long time Hassan Nasrallah.

The conflict intensified last September, when Israel launched an intense air campaign throughout Lebanon, murdered the main leaders of Hezbollah and invaded the south of Lebanon.

The offensive killed some 4,000 people in Lebanon, including many civilians, and led to the displacement of more than 1.2 million residents, the Lebanese authorities say. It also caused billions of dollars in destruction and damage.

The declared objective of Israel in his war against Hezbollah was to allow the return of about 60,000 residents who had been displaced from the communities in the north of the country due to the rocket, the mortar and the drone attacks of the group, and eliminate their weapons and infrastructure of the areas along the border.

Hezbolá had launched his campaign the day after Hamas attacks south of Israel on October 7, 2023, saying that he was acting in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza.