The deadline for Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon is expiring, but the troops will remain

A deadline for Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon expired early Sunday, but troops will remain in some areas as Israel says a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah has not been fully implemented.

The 60 Day Agreementwhich was brokered by the US and France and ended a 14-month conflict, called for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon and the removal of Hezbollah fighters and weapons from there.

At the same time, thousands of Lebanese troops will be deployed in the region, where Hezbollah has been the dominant force for decades.

It is the first major test for Lebanon's new president, army chief Joseph Aoun, who is seeking to bring stability to the country.

On Saturday, his office said “intense contacts and consultations” were continuing to address the situation in the south, including “dangerous Israeli practices”.

It is unclear how Hezbollah will respond, but any resumption of hostilities is likely to be met with strong opposition within the country.

The conflict escalated last September with an intense Israeli air campaign in Lebanon, the assassination of top Hezbollah leaders and a ground invasion of southern Lebanon.

The offensive killed an estimated 4,000 people in Lebanon – including many civilians – and displaced more than 1.2 million residents.

On Friday, the Israeli prime minister's office said the withdrawal outlined in the cease-fire was “contingent on the deployment of the Lebanese army in southern Lebanon and the full and effective implementation of the agreement as Hezbollah withdraws beyond the Litani,” a river about 30 km (20 mi) from the blue line – the unofficial border between Lebanon and Israel.

“As the ceasefire agreement has not yet been fully enforced by the Lebanese state, the gradual withdrawal process will continue, in full coordination with the US,” the statement said, without specifying how long Israeli forces might remain in Lebanon .

It is also unclear how many Israeli soldiers remain in the country.

In a statement on Saturday, the Lebanese army said it was continuing to “implement the plan to strengthen the deployment” in the areas along the border, but that there had been “delays at some stages due to the Israeli enemy pushing through the withdrawal, complicating the army's deployment mission.” .

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

There was no immediate reaction from Hezbollah. On Thursday, the group said failure to meet the deadline would be “a clear violation of the agreement, an assault on Lebanese sovereignty and entering a new phase of occupation.”

But the statement did not say how the group would react if Israeli troops remained in the country.

A Western diplomatic official familiar with the talks, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the negotiations, said Israel had said it needed more time to destroy Hezbollah's infrastructure in southern Lebanon and that the original plan was to 30-day extension.

Hezbollah's lack of comment on how it would respond is likely an indication of the delicate position the group finds itself in.

The Iranian-backed militant, political and social movement was severely weakened in the conflict with Israel, although it continues to enjoy significant support among Lebanon's Shiite Muslims.

The ceasefire agreement was widely seen as a capitulation by the group after its infrastructure and weapons arsenal were depleted and hundreds of fighters and key figures were killed, including longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Despite some violations, the truce ended the violence, which caused billions of dollars in destruction 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 have accused the group of dragging Lebanon into a war that is not in the country's interest, and possibly even from some of its own supporters.

Hezbollah's political influence has also declined.

Earlier this month, Lebanon's parliament succeeded elect a president after more than two years of political impasse accused by the band's critics.

Aoun has promised ambitious reforms to rebuild state institutions long plagued by corruption, revive the collapsed economy after years of crisis and the right to monopolize weapons ownership, which would mean an attempt to curb Hezbollah's military might.

It remains unclear whether the army is able – and willing – to do so, amid concerns that any action against the group could spark internal violence.

Israel's stated goal in its war against Hezbollah was to allow the return of some 60,000 residents who had been displaced from communities in the north of the country by the group's attacks, and to remove them from areas along the border.

Hezbollah launched its campaign a day after Hamas attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, saying it was acting in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.