The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reported that the Israeli government is expected to inform Washington that it will not withdraw from Lebanon after the 60-day deadline stipulated in the ceasefire agreement between the Israeli occupation and Hezbollah, which came into effect on November 27th last year.
The Hebrew newspaper “Israel Hayom” revealed on Sunday that the occupation is considering staying in southern Lebanon for a period exceeding the 60 days agreed upon in the ceasefire agreement.
It was highlighted that “the possibility of maintaining an Israeli military presence in southern Lebanon was raised in recent days during several discussions at the highest political and security levels in Israel.”
Since November 27th last year, a fragile ceasefire has been in place, ending reciprocal bombardments between “Israel” and Hezbollah that began in October 2023 and escalated into a full-scale war on September 23rd last year.
Key terms of the ceasefire agreement include a gradual withdrawal of “Israel” to the south of the Blue Line bordering Lebanon within 60 days, and the deployment of Lebanese army and security forces along the border, crossing points, and the southern region.
The Hebrew newspaper attributed the occupation’s consideration of keeping its forces in southern Lebanon to “the slow deployment of the Lebanese army in the south of the country, in addition to the large cache of Hezbollah’s weapons and infrastructure still being discovered in the area, as well as the organization’s ongoing efforts to reinforce its strength with Iran’s help.”
It also suggested another possible reason being Hezbollah’s pressure on the Lebanese army to avoid taking control of locations in southern Lebanon, in order to leave a vacuum that the organization’s forces would occupy in the future.
The same newspaper, on Monday, quoted military sources saying that extending the presence of forces in Lebanon after the ceasefire is a political decision, and they are prepared for all possibilities.
It added: “We continue to monitor compliance with the ceasefire agreement through American mediators.”
In response, the deputy head of Hezbollah’s political council, Mahmoud Qomati, confirmed that the group would tolerate Israeli breaches for 60 days, and on the 61st day, things would change.
Qomati added: “If we are patient today, it is for the sake of our people and our commitment to the word we gave to make way for the mediators. We will endure for 60 days, but on the 61st day, things will change, and the situation will become different. The forces present will become occupying forces, and we will deal with them on that basis.”
The Israeli aggression on Lebanon has resulted in about 4,000 martyrs and 16,520 wounded, among them a large number of children and women, in addition to the displacement of approximately 1.4 million people. Most of the casualties and displaced were recorded after the escalation of the aggression on September 23rd last year, according to official figures.
