Hezbollah demands Israeli forces complete withdrawal from Lebanon on time

Hezbollah in Lebanon is demanding that Israeli forces fully withdraw from southern Lebanon in accordance with the ceasefire agreement reached by both sides. Meanwhile, the Israeli government has stated that the implementation of the agreement is not progressing quickly enough. Previously, Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah reached a ceasefire agreement last November, brokered by France and the United States, ending more than a year of fighting.

According to the agreement, Israeli forces were to withdraw from Lebanon within 60 days, and Hezbollah forces were also to withdraw from southern Lebanon, with a deadline of this Monday. Israeli government spokesman David Mencer told reporters on Thursday, "There has been positive progress in terms of Lebanese forces and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) replacing Hezbollah forces, which is in line with the agreement." He added, "We have also made it clear that this progress is not fast enough, and there is still much work to be done." He also emphasized that Israel wants the agreement to continue to be implemented.

Mencer did not directly respond to questions about whether Israel was seeking an extension to the agreement's deadline, nor did he state whether Israeli forces would remain in Lebanon after the 60-day period. Al Jazeera reporter Zeina Khodr, reporting from Beirut, Lebanon, said that the Israeli ambassador to the United States indicated that Israel is in discussions with US President Donald Trump's administration, trying to convince the US to extend the deadline by at least a month. "Israeli officials are talking about remaining in Lebanon, which would be a violation of the January 26th ceasefire agreement to withdraw," she said.

Khodr also pointed out, "Hezbollah has hinted at resuming military operations. They have stated that if Israeli soldiers remain, they will be considered an occupying force and will face 'resistance.' However, given that Hezbollah was severely weakened during the Israeli war, the credibility of these threats is debatable." Hezbollah stated on Thursday that as the 60-day deadline of the ceasefire agreement ends, Israel must completely withdraw from Lebanon and warned that any violation of the agreement would not be tolerated.

French President Emmanuel Macron, along with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, stated earlier this month in Beirut, "We need the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces." The Lebanese government has also informed US mediators that Israel's failure to withdraw on time could complicate the deployment of Lebanese forces, which would be a blow to diplomatic efforts and the optimism in Lebanon since Aoun's election as president on January 9th. Hezbollah MP Ali Fayyad stated on January 20th that if Israel fails to withdraw, it will lead all Lebanese people into a new phase of "confronting the Israeli occupation through all possible means and tools and forcing it to leave our land."