Israel will not withdraw troops from Lebanon by ceasefire deadline, Netanyahu says
Israel will not withdraw troops from Lebanon by ceasefire deadline, Netanyahu says
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The deal, brokered by the United States and France, ended more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah. Israeli forces will remain in southern Lebanon beyond the Sunday deadline in a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah, Benjamin Netanyahu has said, throwing the agreement into crisis.
![[Israel killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and thousands of the group’s fighters]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/09/29/21/Hezbollah-Lebanon-Israel_45285.jpg)
Under the deal, which came into effect on 27 November, Hezbollah weapons and fighters must be removed from areas south of the Litani river and Israeli troops should withdraw as the Lebanese military deploys into the region, all within a 60-day timeframe due to conclude on Sunday at 4am (2am GMT).
![[Mideast Wars Lebanon Reconstruction]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/12/12/Mideast_Wars_Lebanon_Reconstruction_96213.jpg)
The deal, brokered by the United States and France, ended more than a year of hostilities between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah. The fighting peaked with a major Israeli ground and air offensive that left Hezbollah severely weakened and displaced more than 1.2 million people in Lebanon.
The Israeli prime minister’s office said that the Israeli military’s withdrawal process was “contingent on the Lebanese army deploying in southern Lebanon and fully and effectively enforcing the agreement, while Hezbollah withdraws beyond the Litani”.
“Since the ceasefire agreement has not yet been fully enforced by the Lebanese state, the gradual withdrawal process will continue, in full coordination with the United States,” a statement from Mr Netanyahu’s office said. The statement did not say how much longer Israeli forces might remain in south Lebanon, where the Israeli military says it has been seizing Hezbollah weapons and dismantling infrastructure. There was no immediate comment from Lebanon.
