Ready To Break The Agreement, Israel Will Pull Its Troops From Lebanon Today

JAKARTA - An Israeli official on condition of anonymity said they would keep the agreement and would withdraw his troops from Lebanon today.

This is different after previously Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer said Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) personnel would remain in five strategic locations in southern Lebanon.

"We intend to go and fulfill the agreement," the official told The Times of Israel as quoted on February 17, adding "and of course, enforcement will continue."

"As you can see, we just killed a senior Hamas official there in Lebanon intensified, not in southern Lebanon. So we will continue to enforce the law firmly and what happens before October 7 will not happen again," he said.

Earlier, Lebanese militant group leader Hezbollah said on Sunday, Israeli forces should withdraw completely from Lebanese territory by January 18, insisting "there is no excuse" to maintain military presence at any post in southern Lebanon.

Under a ceasefire brokered by Washington in November 2023, Israeli forces were given 60 days to withdraw from southern Lebanon where they launched a ground attack on Iranian-backed fighters from Hezbollah since early October.

The deadline was later extended to February 18, but the Israeli military requested that its troops remain at five posts in southern Lebanon, a source said.

In a televised address, Secretary General Hezbollah Naim Qassem said: "Israel must withdraw completely on February 18, there is no pretext, no five points or other details, this is the deal."

Qassem said any Israeli military presence on Lebanese soil after February 18 would be considered a occupation force.

"Everyone knows how the occupation is handled," Qassem stressed, without explicitly threatening his group would continue the attack on Israel.

Earlier, Israeli public broadcaster said on Wednesday the United States had allowed the presence of "long term" Israeli troops in southern Lebanon.

On the other hand, Hezbollah also intends to vacate southern Lebanon, with Lebanese soldiers defending their only military presence there.

"We will attack any threats we see, and we will ensure Hezbollah does not avoid and does not receive funding from Iran. That will not happen," the Israeli official said.

On Monday, the Israeli military said it would maintain its troops in five strategic locations in southern Lebanon, after today's withdrawal deadline.

"We must remain at these points at this point to defend Israelis, to ensure this process is completed and ultimately hand it over to the Lebanese armed forces," said Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani in a briefing to reporters.

He said the move was in accordance with the ceasefire agreement mechanism.

Nadav said the locations were close to the Israeli community or occupy strategic places overlooking Israeli cities such as Metula, at Israel's northernmost point.

"Basically the security situation is very, very complex," he said.