Israel is looking for another extension of the deadline for the withdrawal of its troops from South Lebanon, says a Western diplomatic source, a request that is likely to provoke new concerns in a country with the history of Israeli occupation.
The Israeli forces had to withdraw next week, but the source told the BBC, which Israel wanted its military to stay in five positions there for another 10 days, until February 28.
The fire termination deal, which ended 14 months of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, was mediated by the US and France and came into force on November 27.
This requires the withdrawal of Israeli troops from South Lebanon and the removal of Hezbollah's fighters and weapons from there.
At the same time, thousands of Lebanese soldiers were expected to be located in the region, where Hezbollah has been the dominant force for decades.
The termination of the fire has already been extended once – the original deadline is January 26 – after Israel said the Lebanese state had not fully executed the deal. Lebanon accused Israel of delaying his withdrawal.
One of the priorities of the new Lebanese government is to restore the territorial sovereignty of the country and the authorities strongly reject another delay.
President Joseph Aun insisted on Wednesday that there was no “truth” in the announcements that another extension had been agreed, his office said. He also “repeatedly emphasized Lebanon's insistence on the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops” until Tuesday.
The continued presence of Israeli troops is a source of concern for many in Lebanon, as Israel has occupied the south of the country for 18 years, between 1982 and 2000.
Despite the cessation of the fire, Israel continues to head to Hezbollah and swore more attacks against the Iran -backed group to stop him from reincarnating or restoring his strength.
On Wednesday, Israeli military aircraft violated the sound barrier at low altitude over the capital Beirut for the first time since the start of the ceasefire.
Hezbollah, which is a belligerent, political and social movement, was heavily weakened in the conflict with Israel, although she continues to enjoy significant support among the Shiite Muslims in Lebanon.
The fire termination deal was widely considered a broadcast by the group after seeing that its infrastructure and weapons arsenal were running out, and hundreds of fighters and key figures were killed, including longtime leader Hassan Nasarala.
The conflict escalated last September, when Israel began an intensive air campaign in Lebanon, the senior Hezbollah leaders killed and invaded southern Lebanon.
The offensive was killed in about 4,000 people in Lebanon – including many civilians – and led to the displacement of more than 1.2 million inhabitants, the Lebanese authorities say. In addition, it caused billions of dollars destruction and damage.
Israel's stated goal in his war against Hezbollah was to allow the return of about 60,000 inhabitants who were displaced by communities on northern north due to the rocket, horosan and drone attacks of the group and to remove their weapons and infrastructure from the border regions S
Hezbollah launched her campaign on the day after Hamas's attacks against South Israel on October 7, 2023, saying he was acting in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza.