Lebanon has formally demanded that Israel withdraw all its military forces from Lebanese territory, stressing that any remaining troop presence would constitute an “occupation.” This urgent call comes as Tuesday marked the deadline for Israel to complete its withdrawal under a U.S.-brokered agreement aimed at ending a devastating offensive in southern Lebanon. The conflict, which began in September, followed months of cross-border skirmishes between Israel and the militant group Hizbollah.
The ceasefire deal, reached in November, brought an end to the most intense fighting between Israel and Hizbollah in nearly two decades. According to the terms of the agreement, Israel was initially given 60 days to withdraw its troops, a timeline that was subsequently extended by three weeks last month. However, Israeli officials have accused the Lebanese army of failing to deploy quickly enough to prevent Hizbollah from re-establishing its presence in the region.
On Monday, Israeli military officials announced that troops would remain stationed at five “strategic” locations in southern Lebanon. They characterized this decision as part of last year’s U.S.-brokered agreement that ended months of conflict. An Israeli military spokesperson referred to the remaining positions as “temporary deployments” that provide critical “vantage points” over Israeli communities across the border.
Israeli authorities claimed that this move had been “agreed upon” with the U.S.-led ceasefire monitoring mechanism established as part of the truce. However, it remains unclear whether Israel’s decision was solely approved by Washington or if other members of the monitoring mechanism, including France, the United Nations, and the Lebanese government, were also in agreement.
Top U.N. officials in Lebanon expressed disappointment, stating that “another delay” in fully implementing the ceasefire agreement was not what they had anticipated. They underscored that this situation constitutes a violation of U.N. Resolution 1701, which governs the terms of the ceasefire. While Israeli forces have withdrawn from populated areas in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese Armed Forces are deploying under challenging conditions.
In response to these developments, Lebanon’s president, prime minister, and speaker of parliament announced that they would escalate their complaint to the U.N. Security Council, urging action against ongoing “Israeli violations” and demanding an immediate withdrawal of Israeli troops.
Israel launched a fierce air and ground assault against Hizbollah after the Iran-backed group began firing into Israeli territory following Hamas’s attack from Gaza on October 7, 2023. The Israeli campaign devastated Hizbollah’s arsenal and significantly impacted its leadership, resulting in the deaths of key figures including secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah. The conflict resulted in over 4,000 deaths in Lebanon and more than 140 Israeli casualties, displacing over one million people throughout Lebanon and nearly 60,000 Israelis from border regions.
Despite the ceasefire, Israel has continued to conduct strikes against Hizbollah and other targets in Lebanon, with incidents reported as recently as this weekend. As Israeli troops begin to withdraw, Lebanese soldiers have started moving into the areas vacated by Israeli forces, clearing roadblocks and searching for unexploded ordnance. While some residents are returning to areas deemed safe, many find only rubble where their homes once stood, highlighting the devastating toll of the prolonged conflict.
