The Israeli Army is seeking an extension to a Feb. 18 deadline to withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon, Israel's public broadcaster said on Wednesday, despite Beirut’s rejection and contacts made by the authorities with diplomatic missions to pressure Israel into completing its pullout by next Tuesday.
Israel said the United States has authorized it to remain at several points in Lebanon beyond the agreed date for its full withdrawal, public broadcaster Kan TV reported, citing senior cabinet officials.
However, the office of the Lebanese presidency dismissed media reports claiming that Lebanon and Israel had agreed to extend the ceasefire beyond Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, which falls at the end of March this year.
President Joseph Aoun “has repeatedly emphasized Lebanon’s insistence on the full withdrawal of the Israeli forces within the set deadline of Feb. 18,” his office said in a statement.
Israeli media revealed that “Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked US President Donald Trump to delay the withdrawal from Lebanon once again.”
Furthermore, it claimed that “Israel presented evidence to the Americans that the Lebanese army has not addressed Hezbollah's violations.”
Under a truce deal brokered by Washington in November, Israeli troops were granted 60 days to withdraw from southern Lebanon where they had waged a ground offensive against fighters from Hezbollah since early October.
The initial deadline has already been extended from January 26 until February 18.
A Lebanese official and a foreign diplomat in Lebanon told Reuters on Wednesday that Israel had now asked to remain in five posts in the south for a further 10 days.
Lately, Lebanon has been exerting pressure on Israel through diplomatic channels to respect the scheduled withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon.
On Wednesday, Aoun urged European Union countries to apply pressure on Israel to complete its withdrawal within the deadline set for Feb. 18.
Meanwhile, a Lebanese security source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Lebanese army is preparing to deploy, before the 18th of this month, in all villages where the Israeli occupation forces are currently stationed.
“The Lebanese state will reject any change of the ceasefire agreement,” the source said, adding that any extension to the Feb. 18 deadline is “unjustified.”
The source held the international committee responsible for overseeing the implementation of the agreement.
He refused to say what could happen if the occupation forces were to remain in southern Lebanon even one hour after the deadline.
But the source added: “The Lebanese army will implement any decision the government will take on the matter.”
Meanwhile, the Israeli forces continued to bomb houses in the villages they occupy in southern Lebanon, demolishing what remained of the structures. They have not yet removed their military positions as a prelude to their withdrawal.
Former Lebanese government coordinator to UNIFIL General Monir Shehadeh told Asharq Al-Awsat that if Israel does not withdraw on Feb. 18, Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam will exert pressure on the sponsors of the ceasefire agreement, especially the United States and France.
On Monday, The Jerusalem Post wrote that the US conveyed to Israel that its forces must withdraw from southern Lebanon by Feb. 18, with no further extensions to the ceasefire being granted.
US National Security Council Spokesperson Brian Hughes told the newspaper that “Israel’s withdrawal remains on the existing timeline, and they did not request an extension.”
In case the Israeli forces refuse to respect the ceasefire agreement, Shehadeh said southern Lebanon might witness a popular rally like the one that happened at the end of the 60-day deadline. “Civilians will attempt to enter the occupied villages with bare chests,” he said.
As for Hezbollah’s reaction to any extension of the withdrawal, Shehadeh said: “The resistance (Hezbollah) might attack Israeli occupation positions inside Lebanese towns.”
However, he said, such decision would have negative consequences, including the return of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah and the displacement of thousands of residents from their homes. “Hezbollah does not want this, unless it is dragged into a new war,” he said.
