Israel says it won’t withdraw from Lebanon by Sunday deadline

CNN — 

The Israeli government says its military will not withdraw from Lebanon by Sunday’s deadline, in violation of a ceasefire agreement that ended months of conflict with Hezbollah.

Israel was expected to withdraw all of its forces from southern Lebanon as part of the deal but the Israeli government said some its forces would remain in southern Lebanon, blaming Lebanon for failing to uphold its end of the agreement.

“The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) withdrawal is conditional upon the Lebanese army deploying in southern Lebanon,” the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement. “Since the ceasefire agreement has not yet been fully enforced by Lebanon, the gradual withdrawal process will continue, in full coordination with the United States.”

US National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes said on Friday the United States was working with partners on a “short” and “temporary” extension of the ceasefire.

A Lebanese security source told CNN on Friday it had not received official notice of Israel’s plans to keep their forces in Lebanon beyond the 60-day ceasefire grace period.

Under the November ceasefire agreement, both Israeli and Hezbollah forces agreed to withdraw from southern Lebanon by January 26, the end of a 60-day period stipulated in the deal.

Hezbollah warned on Thursday that if the Israeli military remained in Lebanon past Sunday, it would be “considered a brazen breach of the agreement.”

The Israeli military invaded southern Lebanon on October 1 – the culmination of a yearlong, low-level war with Hezbollah, which attacked Israeli-held territory on October 8, 2023, in solidarity with Hamas.

The Israeli government had told US President Donald Trump’s administration that it wanted Israeli troops to remain in Lebanon for at least an additional 30 days, an Israeli official told CNN. The Israeli security cabinet met Thursday night to discuss the issue.

“All parties share the goal of ensuring Hezbollah does not have the ability to threaten the Lebanese people or their neighbors,” the US National Security Council spokesperson said, adding, “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.