Israel won’t complete full withdrawal from Lebanon by Sunday deadline, PM says
Netanyahu declares Lebanon ‘has not fully enforced’ terms of November deal, which calls for Lebanese army to deploy south of Litani River as Israel withdraws, Hezbollah pulls north
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that Israel will not complete its full withdrawal from southern Lebanon by the 60-day deadline set under the ceasefire deal with the Hezbollah terror group.
Under the terms of the November 27 truce agreement that ended the fighting started by Hezbollah, the Israel Defense Forces is required to cede all of its positions in southern Lebanon to the Lebanese Armed Forces by January 26. At the same time, Hezbollah is required to retreat north of the Litani River, some 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the border with Israel.
In the first public confirmation of such a delay, following weeks of speculation, Netanyahu’s office declared in a statement that “the IDF’s withdrawal process is conditional,” citing what he said are Lebanon’s and Hezbollah’s obligations under the agreement, though the Iran-backed terrorist organization is not a party to the deal signed between Jerusalem and Beirut.
Netanyahu said that since Lebanon “has not yet fully enforced” its obligations under the ceasefire, “the phased withdrawal process will continue, in full coordination with the United States.” The original 60-day deadline was slated for Sunday, January 26.
The prime minister said that the terms of the deal were worded “with the understanding that the withdrawal process may continue beyond 60 days.”
The deal’s text says that the withdrawal process “should not exceed 60 days.”
In recent weeks, however, Israel assessed that the Lebanese army has deployed too slowly across the region, delaying the IDF’s withdrawal as a result. Israeli soldiers are continuing to find Hezbollah weapons caches in areas covered by the truce, and army officials have reportedly said that Lebanon’s army is in some locations helping Hezbollah.
The Haaretz daily similarly reported Thursday that the US and France were discussing the requested extension with Israeli and Lebanese officials. The source assessed that France saw no issue with granting the extension, so long as the other parties were in agreement.
Despite a Hebrew media report suggesting otherwise, the Trump administration on Friday called for a “short, temporary extension” to the 60-day deadline, backing Israel’s stance.
“President Trump is committed to ensuring Israeli citizens can safely return to their homes in northern Israel, while also supporting President Aoun and the new Lebanese government,” White House National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes said in a statement. “All parties share the goal of ensuring Hezbollah does not have the ability to threaten the Lebanese people or their neighbors. To achieve these goals, a short, temporary ceasefire extension is urgently needed.”
“We are pleased that the IDF has started the withdrawal from the central regions, and we continue to work closely with our regional partners to finalize the extension,” he added.
The IDF is currently deployed to several villages in southern Lebanon, mostly in the eastern sector. The Lebanese Armed Forces have deployed to villages in the western sector in recent weeks as the IDF has withdrawn.
The Israeli military is preparing for the possibility of renewed hostilities with Hezbollah. The Iran-backed terror group warned Thursday that it would not accept the IDF staying in southern Lebanon beyond the 60-day limit.
Hours after Netanyahu’s announcement Friday, the IDF said that in recent days it carried out strikes in southern Lebanon to “remove threats,” and troops have also demolished Hezbollah weapon depots and observation posts.
“The IDF is continuing to operate in accordance with the ceasefire understandings between Israel and Lebanon,” the military said. “The IDF remains deployed in southern Lebanon, continues to monitor Hezbollah’s attempts to return to southern Lebanon, and will operate against any threat posed to IDF troops and the State of Israel.”
