[News] Israel Seeks 30-Day Extension to Withdrawal Deadline from South Lebanon

[Anti-Imperialist News]

palestinechronicle.com 
<https://www.palestinechronicle.com/israel-seeks-30-day-extension-to-withdrawal-deadline-from-south-lebanon/> 



  Israel Seeks 30-Day Extension to Withdrawal Deadline from South Lebanon

January 23, 2025
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Israel has violated the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon on several 
occasions. (Photo: video grab)


          There are 72 hours left for the Israeli army to pull out from
          south Lebanon, according to a ceasefire agreement reached last
          November between Israel and Lebanon.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked US President Donald 
Trump for additional time for Israel to maintain its military positions 
in south Lebanon as a deadline approaches, according to Israeli media.

“Israel has requested the U.S. for a 30-day extension,” to the Israeli 
army’s “deadline for withdrawing from southern Lebanon set in the 
cease-fire agreement,” Haaretz reported, citing a French diplomatic source.

The US, France, Lebanon and Israel are “are engaged in intensive 
discussions on the issue,” the paper noted, adding that according to the 
source, France “will accept” any agreed outcome that guarantees the 
ceasefire will continue.


        ‘Permanent Truce’

Under a ceasefire agreement reached last November between Israel and 
Lebanon, the Israeli army is required to pull out from southern Lebanon 
within 60 days. With just 72 hours left, the Anadolu news agency 
reported, the time is fast approaching for Israel to vacate all the 
territories it occupied during its recent war against the Hezbollah 
movement.

    Israel has reportedly requested an additional 30 days from the US to
    ‘complete the withdrawal of its troops’ from southern Lebanon,
    according to Hebrew media, just days before the 60-day deadline
    outlined in the ceasefire agreement with Lebanon.

    According to Haaretz, a source… pic.twitter.com/VmhFJ4ACSQ
    <https://t.co/VmhFJ4ACSQ>

    — The Cradle (@TheCradleMedia) January 23, 2025
    <https://twitter.com/TheCradleMedia/status/1882374381768159570?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>

“In four days, the ceasefire agreement in the north is set to transition 
into a permanent truce – and the Israeli army is scheduled to evacuate 
all forces from southern Lebanon,” Israel’s Channel 13 reported, 
according to Anadolu.

However, Netanyahu has asked the Trump administration to agree to keep 
five Israeli military positions in southern Lebanon, the broadcaster added.

Israel’s security cabinet is scheduled to convene on Thursday to discuss 
the issue, the report added.


        Strategic Military Positions

According to the channel, the request was submitted in the past 24 hours 
by Netanyahu’s close ally, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer.

The report cited senior Israeli officials who said “the matter concerns 
five strategic military positions that form a buffer zone between the 
residents of northern Israel and the residents of southern Lebanon.”

The justification included in Netanyahu’s request was that “the 
agreement has not been fully implemented, partly because the Lebanese 
army is deployed in the area,” according to the report.

The channel emphasized that “there are a significant number of officials 
in the Israeli security establishment who, like Netanyahu, believe that 
they should remain in southern Lebanon (even after the 60-day deadline) 
– but only with the approval of the Trump administration.”


        Ceasefire Violations

Meanwhile, the Israeli army committed eight ceasefire violations in 
Lebanon on Wednesday, bringing the total to 629 breaches since the 
agreement took effect on November 27, reported Anadolu.

Israeli army forces burnt a house in southern Lebanon on Thursday, in 
the latest violation of a ceasefire agreement, the agency noted.

It cited the Lebanese state news agency NNA as having reported that the 
house was set ablaze in the eastern neighborhood of Qantara town in the 
Marjayoun district.

It came after at least 11 Israeli violations of the November 27, 2024 
ceasefire agreement were reported on Wednesday, bringing the total 
violations to 633 since the deal came into force.

A fragile ceasefire has been in place, ending a period of mutual 
shelling between Israel and the that began on October 8, 2023, and 
escalated into full-scale conflict on September 23, 2024.

Under the ceasefire agreement, the Israeli army must complete its 
withdrawal from southern Lebanon within the 60-day timeframe which ends 
in a few days.

/(Anadolu, PC)/
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