Israeli Military to Maintain Troops at Five Outposts Inside Lebanon Past Withdrawal Deadline.
Israeli ground forces were initially scheduled to depart Lebanon by Jan. 26 as part of a wider November cease-fire agreement, contingent on Hezbollah’s compliance.
However, Israeli troops are now gearing up to stay at five outposts within Lebanon’s borders, temporarily prolonging their presence in the country past the previously announced Feb. 18 withdrawal deadline.
According to an emailed press release shared with The Epoch Times on Feb. 17, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that their troops would mainly be stationed at specific points inside Lebanon overlooking multiple northern Israeli border communities. These deployment points include Lebanese heights that overlook the Israeli border community of Shlomi, another set of heights within Lebanon overlooking Israel’s Avivim and Mallaqi’a communities, a third set of heights overlooking the Israeli communities of Saluq and Margaliot, a fourth outpost in Jabal Blat, and a fifth outpost in Hamames.
“We need to maintain our presence at these points currently to protect Israeli citizens, ensure the completion of the process, and eventually hand it over to the Lebanese armed forces,” explained Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an IDF spokesperson, during a press conference on Monday.
Originally, Israeli ground forces entered southern Lebanon in October 2024 after a series of cross-border attacks by Hezbollah, a Shia Islamist Lebanese group recognized as a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States, and other nations. The United States, led by then-President Joe Biden, facilitated negotiations for a cease-fire that officially commenced on Nov. 27, 2024. The agreement stipulated that Hezbollah relocate its combat forces north of the Litani River and for Lebanese government forces to regain control of the regions south of the river. In return, Israel committed to cease its strikes on Lebanon and withdraw its ground troops from Lebanon within 60 days.
Recently, the Israeli government declared a postponement of the withdrawal of its ground troops from southern Lebanon beyond the initial Jan. 26 deadline. The delay was attributed to the pending full withdrawal of Hezbollah north of the Litani River and the completion of the deployment of the Lebanese armed forces along the Israel-Lebanon border, according to a statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.
The Epoch Times inquired with the IDF about the anticipated duration of Israeli troops remaining at the aforementioned five outposts within Lebanon and the collective progress made by both sides toward fulfilling their cease-fire commitments. However, the Israeli military declined to comment on these matters.
In a press statement on Monday, newly-elected Lebanese President Joseph Aoun expressed his apprehensions about the potential extension of Israeli forces’ presence within Lebanon’s borders. Aoun asserted, “We are diplomatically working to achieve a complete Israeli withdrawal, and I will not tolerate any Israeli presence on Lebanese territory.”
Lebanon’s Parliament elected Aoun, a former Lebanese army general, in January.
Speaking on Monday, the new Lebanese president assured that the country’s armed forces were ready to take charge of the Lebanese border communities from which Israeli forces are expected to retreat.
On Monday, Lebanon’s official National News Agency (NNA) reported that Lebanese government troops encountered obstacles when attempting to enter the southern town of Houla, where Israeli military operations are ongoing.
Despite the plans for withdrawal, Israeli forces have continued to conduct airstrikes on suspected Hezbollah and Hamas targets throughout Lebanon.
In a recent announcement, the IDF disclosed that Israeli aircraft carried out an airstrike in the city of Sidon, Lebanon, targeting a vehicle driven by Hamas suspect Muhammad Shaheen. Additionally, NNA reported that a local hospital was performing DNA tests to identify an individual killed in the airstrike.
Hezbollah-affiliated member Hassan Fadlallah, a member of Lebanon’s parliament, has urged Aoun’s new administration to take firmer action against the Israeli military presence in the country. Fadlallah emphasized the importance of confronting the occupation and expelling it, regardless of the government’s official stance.
Reuters contributed to this report.
