Israel has announced that it will leave troops stationed at five key locations in southern Lebanon, despite the expiration of the February 18 deadline for their withdrawal.
The decision was confirmed by an Israeli military spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, who stated that the forces were required to remain in place for the protection of Israeli citizens and to ensure the full implementation of the ceasefire agreement.
The goal, Shoshani added, is to eventually hand over control to the Lebanese armed forces, something Israel has twice failed to do.
Israel had initially committed to a full withdrawal by January 26, 2024, as per the terms of the ceasefire agreement signed in November 2024.
However, the deadline was missed, and a new withdrawal date of February 18 was set.
On Wednesday, Israel once again postponed its troop withdrawal, extending the deadline and requesting an additional ten-day period until February 28. This request was rejected by Lebanon.
Since the ceasefire began, Israel has reportedly violated the terms of the agreement 923 times, leading to 73 deaths and 265 injuries, according to Lebanese authorities.
