Hezbollah withdraws from majority of military sites in southern Lebanon

The majority of Hezbollah military sites in southern Lebanon are now under the control of the Lebanese army, a source close to the Lebanese movement said on Saturday.

The withdrawal of the group's forces was agreed as part of a ceasefire deal with Israel in November, following months of violence that left thousands dead.

"Out of 265 Hezbollah military positions identified south of the Litani [River], the movement has ceded about 190 to the army," the source told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Israel and Hezbollah have engaged in cross-border clashes for over a year since 8 October 2023, following the start of the war on Gaza.

The clashes turned into a full-blown war last September when Israel launched a widespread bombing campaign and ground invasion of Lebanon.

The attack left more than 4,000 people dead and reduced entire neighbourhoods to rubble.

Under the November ceasefire agreement, Israel was supposed to withdraw its troops from southern Lebanon by 18 February after missing an earlier deadline in January.

However, the Israeli army remains stationed in five points near the border, which it has deemed “strategic”.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah has pulled its forces to the north of the Litani River to be replaced by the Lebanese army.

A Lebanese official told AFP that the deputy US special envoy for the Middle East, Morgan Ortagus, had discussed disarming Hezbollah with senior Lebanese figures during her visit to the country last week.

Ortagus told Lebanese television channel LBCI: "We continue to press on this government to fully fulfil the cessation of hostilities, and that includes disarming Hezbollah and all militias".

She said it should happen "as soon as possible".