BBC News, Beirut

Israeli forces remained in southern Lebanon beyond the deadline for their withdrawal on Sunday after saying that the ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah had not been fully implemented.
60 day agreementThe agreement, brokered by the United States and France and ending a 14-month conflict, stipulated the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon and the removal of Hezbollah fighters and its weapons from the region.
Meanwhile, thousands of Lebanese soldiers are scheduled to be deployed to the region where Hezbollah has been the dominant force for decades.
It was not clear how many Israeli soldiers remained in Lebanon as of Sunday and how long they intended to stay.
As the deadline passed and some residents attempted to return to their homes, despite warnings from the Lebanese and Israeli armies, the Lebanese Ministry of Health said three people were killed and 44 wounded by the Israeli army. There was no immediate comment from Israel.
This is the first major test for the new Lebanese President, Army Commander Joseph Aoun, who is keen to achieve stability in a country exhausted by multiple crises. He said in a statement issued on Sunday that “Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are non-negotiable,” adding that he is “following up this issue at the highest levels.”
The conflict escalated last September, leading to an intense Israeli air campaign across Lebanon, the assassination of senior Hezbollah leaders, and a ground invasion of southern Lebanon. The attack killed about 4,000 people in Lebanon – including many civilians – and displaced more than 1.2 million residents.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said on Friday that the withdrawal stipulated in the ceasefire “is conditional on the deployment of the Lebanese army in southern Lebanon and the full and effective implementation of the agreement, while Hezbollah withdraws beyond the Litani River,” a river about 30 kilometers (20 km) long. ). miles) of the Blue Line – the unofficial border between Lebanon and Israel.
The statement said: “Since the ceasefire agreement has not been fully implemented by the Lebanese state, the gradual withdrawal process will continue, in full coordination with the United States.”
The Lebanese Army said, in a statement on Saturday, that it continued “implementing the plan to enhance deployment” in the areas adjacent to the border, but there was “a delay in some stages due to the Israeli enemy’s procrastination in withdrawing, which led to the complexity of the army’s deployment.” a task”.
A Western diplomatic official familiar with the negotiations, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that Israel said it needed more time to destroy Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon, and that the initial plan was for a 30-day extension.
There was no immediate reaction from Hezbollah. The group said on Thursday that failure to adhere to the deadline would be a “flagrant violation of the agreement, a violation of Lebanese sovereignty, and entry into a new phase of the occupation.”

However, the statement did not clarify how the movement would respond if Israeli forces remained in the country.
This may be an indication of the sensitive situation in which the group finds itself. The Iranian-backed armed political and social movement has been severely weakened in the conflict with Israel, although it still enjoys significant support among Shiite Muslims in Lebanon.
The ceasefire agreement was widely seen as a surrender by the group, after it witnessed the depletion of its infrastructure and weapons arsenal and the killing of hundreds of fighters and key figures, including leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Despite some violations, the truce put an end to the violence that caused billions of dollars in losses and damage. Allowing thousands of residents to return to their homes in Lebanon.
If Hezbollah decides to resume its attacks, it will face opposition from critics, who have accused the group of dragging Lebanon into a war that was not in the country’s interest, and perhaps even from some of its supporters.

Hezbollah’s political influence has also diminished.
Earlier this month, the Lebanese Parliament was able to do so Election of a president after more than two years of political stagnation Critics blamed the group.
Aoun promised ambitious reforms to rebuild state institutions that have long suffered from corruption, revive the collapsed economy after years of crisis, and the right to monopolize the possession of weapons, which means trying to curb the military power of Hezbollah.
It remains unclear whether the military is able – and willing – to do so, amid fears that any action against the group could spark internal violence.
Israel’s stated goal in its war against Hezbollah was to allow the return of some 60,000 residents displaced from communities in the north of the country due to the group’s attacks, and to remove them from areas along the border.
Hezbollah launched its campaign the day after Hamas attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, saying it was acting in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
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2025-01-26 09:34:00