Israel keeps troops in southern Lebanon, misses withdrawal deadline

BarcelonaIsraeli troops were due to withdraw from Lebanon by February 18 at the latest, but today they are still in various strategic points in the country, although most of the troops have returned to Israeli territory. For Tel Aviv it is vital to stay "at some points", considering that the Lebanese armed forces have not managed to disarm Hezbollah or fully deploy in the area, violating part of the ceasefire agreement.

"As of today the army will remain in a security zone in Lebanon, controlling five posts, and will continue to enforce, with force and without concessions, any violation [of the agreement] by Hezbollah," said Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz. He also confirmed that they have reinforced the presence of troops on the Israeli side of the border. At the moment it has not been announced how long the troops will remain in Lebanon.

In response, a Lebanese presidential spokesman has said that Lebanon will consider any remaining Israeli presence inside Lebanon as an occupation, and that as such, Lebanon has the right to use all means to ensure a full Israeli withdrawal.

Israel's presence in southern Lebanon violates the ceasefire with Hezbollah, which ended a war of more than a year. Tel Aviv was to leave the territory by Tuesday at the latest, and the Lebanese army was to deploy in the area and enforce Hezbollah's withdrawal beyond some thirty kilometers from the border with Israel.

In January, the Israeli army already missed the first deadline for the withdrawal of its troops. It announced that the gradual withdrawal would continue beyond the sixty days provided for in the ceasefire agreement, that is, beyond January 27. Their argument was that Lebanon had not respected its commitments.

Israel's presence on Lebanese territory has revived fears that a new episode of armed violence could begin in a context in which thousands of Lebanese have not yet been able to return to their towns – some of which have been devastated by war – in a part of the world, the Middle East, with very fragile geostrategic balances.