On Friday, the Israeli prime minister’s office said the withdrawal stipulated in the cease-fire “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 Litani.” is”, which is about 30 km (20 mi) of river. miles) from the Blue Line – the unofficial border between Lebanon and Israel.
“As the ceasefire agreement has yet to be fully implemented by the Lebanese state, a gradual withdrawal will continue in full coordination with the United States,” the statement said without elaborating. How long can Israeli forces stay in Lebanon?
It is also unclear how many Israeli soldiers remain in the country.
In a statement on Saturday, the Lebanese army said it continued to “implement the plan to increase deployments” in areas along the border, but “at some stages due to the delay in the withdrawal of the Israeli enemy.” There has been a delay, which has complicated the deployment of the army.”
He also urged residents to avoid returning to border areas.
There was no immediate response from Hezbollah. On Thursday, the group said failure to meet the deadline would be “a clear violation of the agreement, a violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty, and entry into a new phase of occupation.”
But the statement did not say how the group would react if Israeli forces remained in the country.
A Western diplomatic official familiar with the talks, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the talks, said Israel has said it needs more time to destroy Hezbollah’s infrastructure in southern Lebanon. And that the initial plan was for a 30-day extension.
