HEZBOLLAH SAYS ‘UNACCEPTABLE’ FOR ISRAELI TROOPS TO REMAIN IN LEBANON

Thu 23 January 2025:

The Lebanese group says that if Israeli forces do not fully withdraw from Lebanon by Sunday as stipulated by the ceasefire deal, it would be a “blatant” violation of the agreement.

Hezbollah said reports about plans to prolong Israel’s military presence in Lebanon beyond the deadline call on the political leadership in Lebanon to press the countries sponsoring the ceasefire to ensure its implementation.

The US and France are the main brokers of the deal.

In its statement, Hezbollah stressed that the Lebanese army should be able to deploy on “every inch” of Lebanon and residents of areas currently occupied by Israel must be able to quickly return to their homes.

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The ceasefire agreement – reached in November of last year after a devastating war that saw Israel destroy large parts of Lebanon and kill several top Hezbollah political and military officials – gave Israeli troops 60 days to pull out of Lebanon.

It also required Hezbollah to withdraw its forces to the north of the Litani River, around 30km (18 miles) from the Israeli border.

“Exceeding the 60-day period would be a blatant breach of the agreement, a severe violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty and a new chapter of the occupation that would require the state to deal with it with all the tools granted by international norms,” Hezbollah said.

Notably, the group did not explicitly threaten to renew the fight against Israeli forces itself.

“At this time, we will follow the developments of the situation that should culminate in the coming days in full [Israeli] withdrawal,” the group added. “Any violation of the agreements and commitments will be unacceptable.”

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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