US to Israel: No more Lebanon withdrawal extensions, leave on time

The Trump administration has told Israel that it must withdraw fully from Lebanon by February 18, the deadline agreed to after the original date of January 26 was deemed too early by both countries, according to i24 News.

Israel is nevertheless still negotiating with the United States to try and secure better conditions for the day after the withdrawal, though it did promise to leave on time, according to Channel 14.

The i24 report stated that the United States believes that the Lebanese Army is sufficiently deployed throughout the region to satisfy the terms of the ceasefire deal and UN Resolution 1701, which dictate that all of southern Lebanon south of the Litani River be demilitarized, aside from official state armed forces.

The IDF is continuing the withdrawal in the next few days from other area in southern Lebanon.

US Middle East Envoy Morgan Ortagus visited Lebanon and Israel recently, and insisted on overseeing the Lebanese Army inspecting thirty sites in Lebanon suspected to be in use by Hezbollah. She even took a photo with a Lebanese Army soldier holding a seized shell.

The IDF has repeatedly complained of "hundreds" of violations of the ceasefire agreement by Hezbollah, including efforts to introduce armed men and move weapons around southern Lebanon, which the IDF has occasionally tried to interdict and strike Hezbollah members from the air.

The IDF has also been striking Hezbollah targets north of the Litani River, with the aim of preventing the terrorist group from rebuilding its infrastructure and tunnels, after they were damaged or destroyed in intensive IDF strikes.

Israel has also been working to prevent Iran from resupplying Hezbollah with weapons and money. The fall of Syria to a Sunni group hostile to Iran has weakened that route, and Israel's focus now is preventing or at least forcing the inspection of Iranian and Iraqi planes to Lebanon to make sure no money gets to Hezbollah via that route.