BEIRUT: The Israeli army ordered thousands of displaced Lebanese not to return to villages near the border until further notice, a day after it said its forces would remain in south Lebanon beyond a Sunday (Jan 26) deadline to withdraw.
The deadline is part of a ceasefire that ended last year’s war between Hezbollah and Israel. Brokered by Washington and Paris, the deal stipulated that Israeli forces should withdraw from south Lebanon as the Iran-backed group’s weapons and fighters are removed from the area and the Lebanese army deploys, within in a 60-day period which ends on Sunday.
But Israel said on Friday the terms had not been fully enforced by the Lebanese state, meaning Israeli troops would stay beyond Sunday, without saying for how long.
Lebanon’s US-backed military on Saturday accused Israel of procrastinating in its withdrawal.
In a statement on social media platform X, the Israeli military posted a map showing an area of the south containing dozens of villages. It said until further notice residents remain forbidden from returning to their homes.
“Anyone who moves south of this line puts themselves in danger,” the statement said. The line stretches from Shebaa, less than 2 km (1.5 miles) from the border in the east, to Mansouri in the west – about 10 km (6 miles) from the border.
