Illustrative. Smoke billows after an Israeli Air Force air strike in southern Lebanon village, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, as seen from northern Israel, Oct. 3, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Jim Urquhar
i24 News – Israel is preparing to stay in Lebanon well past the 60-day period set by the ceasefire agreement that came into effect on November 27, Israel’s national broadcaster Kan reported Sunday.
According to Israeli sources, the Israeli military will remain for more than a month after, as the IDF believes it is essential to hold its position in a number of outposts in Lebanon to prevent Hezbollah from taking over key strategic points. Hezbollah is not respecting parts of the agreement that prohibit it from deploying in southern Lebanon. Not all of the Iran-backed Shiite terrorist group have withdrawn north of the Litani River, as stipulated by the ceasefire agreement.
Israel will wait to see who will lead the new Lebanese government to ascertain if it is possible to cooperate on security issues. “We cannot trust Hezbollah, which will strive to restore its capabilities as soon as the IDF leave Lebanon,” one of the officials said.
On Saturday evening, Kan said the Lebanese army suffered from ongoing issues in implementing terms of the agreement. While the military did deploy troops in southern Lebanon as agreed, the number of soldiers south of the Litani River is less than the 6,000 initially planned.
The army high command led by General Joseph Aoun is motivated to successfully carry out tasks entrusted to them by the US and French ceasefire oversight committee. However, Shiite commanders are reportedly significantly more lax in areas under their control. Some even go as far as to provide intelligence to Hezbollah according to Kan.
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