Netanyahu: Complete Withdrawal of Israel from Southern Lebanon Will Not Happen for Now

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, announced in a statement on Friday, January 25, that Israeli army forces will not completely withdraw from southern Lebanon at the end of the 60-day deadline set in the ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah. According to this statement, the withdrawal of Israeli army forces is conditional on the deployment of the Lebanese army in southern Lebanon and the full and effective implementation of the agreement's provisions simultaneously with Hezbollah's withdrawal to the north of the Litani River. Netanyahu further stated that since Lebanon has not yet fully fulfilled its commitments under the agreement, the phased withdrawal of Israeli army forces from southern Lebanon will continue 'in full coordination with the United States.' This agreement, brokered by the United States and France, requires the dismantling of Hezbollah's weapons, members, and infrastructure from southern Lebanon, the deployment of the Lebanese army, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the area within 60 days, that is, by Sunday, January 28. According to Netanyahu's statement on Friday, the provisions of the ceasefire agreement were arranged with the understanding that the process of Israeli army withdrawal from southern Lebanon may take longer than 60 days. According to the Times of Israel, the text of the ceasefire agreement states that the withdrawal of Israeli army forces from southern Lebanon 'should not take more than 60 days.' In this context, Israel criticized the slow implementation of the ceasefire agreement with the Hezbollah group supported by the Islamic Republic and called for the rapid implementation of the agreement's provisions. David Manser, a spokesman for the Israeli government, confirmed progress, including the deployment of Lebanese army forces and United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, but stated that this process has not been sufficiently rapid and much more needs to be done. In response, Hezbollah rejected any extension of the presence of Israeli forces beyond the 60-day deadline and described it as a 'clear violation' of the ceasefire agreement, warning that it would take action to reclaim these areas from Israel using 'all means and methods guaranteed by international charters.' This Iranian proxy group also called on Lebanese political forces to ensure the full implementation of the ceasefire agreement with Israel. The Israeli army is currently stationed in several villages located in the eastern part of southern Lebanon. In recent weeks, Lebanese army forces have been deployed in the western part of this area following the withdrawal of the Israeli army. Hezbollah has unilaterally launched rocket and drone attacks on northern Israel since the day after the terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7 last year. In response, Israel has conducted severe attacks against this group's positions in Lebanon and Syria, killing hundreds of members of this major Iranian proxy in the region, including its leader and senior military commanders, such as Hassan Nasrallah, Foad Shaker, Ibrahim Aqil, and Hashem Safi al-Din. Hezbollah's rocket and drone attacks on Israel have displaced more than 60,000 residents of northern Israel and killed dozens of citizens of this country. Israeli officials have repeatedly emphasized that the country will exert all its efforts to secure its northern borders and facilitate the return of displaced civilians to their homes.