Lebanese army slams Israeli procrastination in ceasefire withdrawal from south
The Lebanese army says it is prepared to deploy its forces in the southern part of the country on the border with the Israeli-occupied territories, lashing out at the occupying Tel Aviv regime over “procrastination” in its military withdrawal in time for a deadline the following day.
“There has been a delay at a number of stages as a result of the procrastination in the withdrawal from the Israeli enemy’s side,” the army said in a statement on Saturday.
It went on to confirm it was “ready to continue its deployment as soon as the Israeli enemy withdraws.”
The army urged the public to “be cautious in heading back to the southern border areas, due to the presence of mines and suspicious objects left behind” by Israeli forces.
The office of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Friday that the regime’s forces will remain in southern Lebanon beyond the Sunday deadline stipulated in the ceasefire agreement with the Hezbollah resistance movement.
The agreement, signed in late November last year, mandated a complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon within 60 days, concluding this Sunday.
However, Netanyahu’s office stated that Israel will not meet this deadline, asserting that the Lebanese military has not yet established full control of the region and that Hezbollah forces have not fully withdrawn north of the Litani River.
“As the Lebanese state has not fully enforced the ceasefire agreement, the gradual withdrawal of Israeli troops will continue,” the statement claimed, suggesting a phased withdrawal rather than a complete pullout by the deadline.
Israel was forced to accept the ceasefire with Hezbollah after suffering heavy losses following almost 14 months of fighting and failing to achieve its goals in its aggression on Lebanon.
The truce deal came into effect on November 27. It will last for 60 days in the hope of reaching a permanent cessation of hostilities.
Under the agreement, an international monitoring committee, headed by the United States, is tasked with overseeing the implementation of the ceasefire.
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