Israel will stay in 5 key locations in Lebanon despite the withdrawal deadline
On Monday, Israel announced that its forces would remain in five strategic points inside Lebanon after Tuesday's deadline for their full withdrawal, according to an Israel Defence Forces spokesman. Lebanon's president, also on Monday, urged countries involved in the ceasefire agreement to "pressure Israel to withdraw and implement" the deal.
Israel was poised to again miss a deadline for withdrawing its troops from Lebanon after the military said Monday it would remain in five "strategic points" despite pushback from Beirut. News.Az reports citing foreign media.
Lebanon's president had earlier voiced concern that Israel would miss the Tuesday deadline under a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, and urged countries to pressure Israel to honour the cut-off.
"Based on the current situation, we will leave small amounts of troops deployed temporarily in five strategic points along the border in Lebanon," military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani told journalists on Monday.
Lebanese officials have demanded Israel's full withdrawal by February 18, after Israeli forces missed an earlier January cut-off.
"We are afraid that a complete withdrawal will not be achieved tomorrow," President Joseph Aoun said earlier Monday in a statement.
"The Lebanese response will be through a unified, comprehensive national position," he added.
The Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire has been in effect since November 27, after more than two months of all-out war during which Israel launched ground operations.
Under the deal, Lebanon's military was to deploy in the south alongside United Nations peacekeepers as the Israeli army withdrew over a 60-day period that was later extended to February 18.
Hezbollah was to pull back north of the Litani River -- about 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the border -- and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure in the south.
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