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Israel says it will continue to occupy Lebanon beyond ceasefire deadline

The truce, expected to end on Monday, gave both sides two months to fully implement the terms
Residents drive past a damaged site as they return to the Lebanese village of al-Khiam, near the border with Israel, on 23 January 2025 (Karamallah Daher/Reuters)
Residents drive past a damaged site as they return to the Lebanese village of al-Khiam, near the border with Israel, on 23 January 2025 (Karamallah Daher/Reuters)
By Nader Durgham in Beirut

Israel will not completely leave Lebanese territory by the end of the 60-day truce with Hezbollah, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Friday.

The agreement, signed by both Israel and the Lebanese government, ended over a year of border clashes and two months of full-blown conflict on 27 November.

It gave Israel 60 days to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah is supposed to retreat to the north of the Litani River. Hezbollah is supposed to be replaced by the Lebanese army in the areas it leaves.

The process is supposed to be completed on Monday at 4am local time (2am GMT).

Netanyahu’s office said Israel’s withdrawal is “contingent on the Lebanese army deploying in southern Lebanon and fully and effectively enforcing the agreement, while Hezbollah withdraws beyond the Litani”.

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“Since the ceasefire agreement has not yet been fully enforced by the Lebanese state, the gradual withdrawal process will continue in full coordination with the United States,” it added.

Hezbollah and the Lebanese authorities are yet to comment on the allegations.

According to The Guardian, Israel is currently asking US President Donald Trump for a 30-day extension to the agreement, which Israeli media says he is unlikely to approve.

Israel has been accused by the Lebanese government of breaching the ceasefire hundreds of times, as it has continued bombing southern Lebanon, sometimes killing people, and flown drones over Beirut and the south.

It has also been demolishing residential homes along Lebanon's border with Israel.

In a speech ahead of the implementation of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip last week, Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem warned Israel against its breaches.

“Don't test our patience,” Qassem said.

Israel’s attacks on Lebanon have killed more than 4,000 people and displaced over 1.2 million.

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