The deadline for the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon ends, but the forces will remain

The deadline for the Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon has ended early on Sunday, but the forces will remain in some areas, as Israel says that the ceasefire deal with Hezbollah has not been fully implemented.

The 60 -day agreementIn which the United States and France mediated and put an end to 14 months of conflict, stipulated that the Israeli forces withdraw from southern Lebanon and the removal of Hezbollah fighters and weapons from there.

At the same time, thousands of Lebanese soldiers will be deployed in the area where Hezbollah, for decades, will be deployed.

This is the first major test of the new Lebanese President, Army Commander Joseph Aoun, who is keen to achieve stability to the country.

On Saturday, his office, “Intensive Communications and Consultations”, continued to address the situation in the south, including “dangerous Israeli practices”.

It is not clear how Hezbollah will respond, but it is likely that any resumption of hostile actions is likely to face strong opposition in the country.

The conflict escalated last September, with an intense Israeli air campaign throughout Lebanon, the assassination of Hezbollah leaders and the conquest of the land for southern Lebanon.

The attack was killed about 4,000 people in Lebanon – including many civilians – and led to the displacement of more than 1.2 million people.

On Friday, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office said that the withdrawal shown in the ceasefire was “conditional on the Lebanese army, which is deployed in southern Lebanon and enforcing the agreement completely and effectively, while Hezbollah withdraws beyond Litani”, which is a river of about 30 km (20 (20 (20 (20) Miles) from the blue line – the informal border between Lebanon and Israel.

“Since the ceasefire agreement was not fully applied by the Lebanese state, the process of gradual withdrawal will continue, in full coordination with the United States,” the statement said.

It was also not clear that the number of Israeli soldiers remained in the country.

In a statement on Saturday, the Lebanese army said that it continued to “implement the plan to enhance publication” in areas along the border, but there was “delay in some stages due to the Israeli enemy's procrastination in the withdrawal, which complicates the deployment of the army task.”

He also urged the residents to refrain from returning to the border areas.

There was no immediate reaction from Hezbollah. On Thursday, the group said that the failure to comply with the deadline will be “a flagrant violation of the agreement, the violation of Lebanese sovereignty, and the entry of a new stage of the occupation.”

But the statement did not mention how the group would respond if the Israeli forces remain in the country.

A Western diplomatic official familiar with the negotiations, which occurred provided that his identity was not disclosed to discuss the talks, said that Israel said it needed more time to destroy Hezbollah's infrastructure in southern Lebanon, and that the initial plan was to extend 30 days.

Hezbollah's lack of comment on how to respond is an indication of the sensitive position that the group finds itself.

The Iranian -backed movement and the political and social movement have been weakened strongly in the conflict with Israel, although it continues to enjoy great support among Shiite Muslims in Lebanon.

The ceasefire group was widely considered that it was surrendered by the group, after seeing its infrastructure and the weapons of an exhausted arsenal and the killing of hundreds of fighters and major figures, including the leader for a long time, Hassan Nasrallah.

Despite some violations, the armistice put an end to the violence that caused the destruction of billions of dollars and damage, Allowing thousands of residents to return to their homes in Lebanon.

If it decides to resume its attacks, Hezbollah will face opposition from critics, who accused the group of withdrawing Lebanon into a war that was not in the interest of the country, and perhaps even some of its supporters.

Hezbollah's political influence also decreased.

Earlier this month, the parliament of Lebanon managed The president was elected more than two years after the political impasse Blame by critics on the group.

AUON promised ambitious reforms to rebuild the state institutions that afflicted corruption for a long time, reviving the collapsed economy after years of crisis, and the right to monopolize weapons, which means trying to curb Hezbollah's military power.

It is still unclear whether the army is able – and ready – to do so, amid fears that any action against the group can raise internal violence.

The declared goal of Israel in its war against Hezbollah was to allow the return of about 60,000 residents who were displaced from societies in the north of the country due to the group's attacks, and to remove it from the regions 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 the Palestinians in Gaza.