Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has convened a security consultation to discuss Hamas violations of the hostage deal and the situation in the north, according to a report today (Sunday) by Israel Hayom.
The 60-day deadline for IDF withdrawal from southern Lebanon, in accordance with the ceasefire brokered by the United States and France between Israel and Lebanon and Hezbollah, ended today.
The government and the IDF said that they could not fully withdraw until they were assured that the Lebanese Army was doing its assigned role of demilitarizing all of southern Lebanon of any non-state armed force, in accordance with UN Resolution 1701 and the ceasefire agreement - including Hezbollah.
In order to try and force the IDF to withdraw, southern Lebanese residents and Hezbollah members tried to forcibly enter IDF-held villages along the border.
The IDF fired at the approaching crowd and forced them back. The Lebanese government currently assesses the number of dead at over 20, along with over a hundred wounded.
Meanwhile, Israel has accused Hamas of violating the hostage deal in a number of key ways. First, hostage Arbel Yehud was reportedly supposed to be among those released yesterday. Second, Hamas has not provided Israel with a list of the remaining 26 hostages to be released and their condition - including whether they are alive or dead.
While mediators are reportedly working on a way to resolve the matter of the release of Arbel, Israel has not indicated what it will do in response to the failure to provide a list of living and dead hostages.
French President Emmanuel Macron spoke today with Netanyahu and said that Israel should withdraw from southern Lebanon so as not to hamper the efforts of the new government, considered less friendly to Iran and friendlier to Iran, to exert full sovereign control over the whole country.
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