US to Israel: Leave Lebanon by Tuesday, except for these locations

The IDF is preparing to establish five outposts on the Lebanese side of the border in order to continue observing the situation in southern Lebanon, even after the rest of the army withdraws next week, according to Kann reporter Itay Blumenthal.

As reported earlier, Israel attempted to request a further extension of the ceasefire withdrawal deadline from February 18 to February 28 from the United States, after the deadline had already been extended from the original date of January 26.

After the Trump administration rejected this, Israel requested - and received - approval to establish five outposts, manned by hundreds of soldiers, along strategic positions on the Lebanese side of the border in order to continue to effectively observe developments in southern Lebanon.

The IDF is reportedly still concerned about the Lebanese Army's ability and willingness to enforce the full demilitarization of southern Lebanon in accordance with the ceasefire agreement and UN Resolution 1701, including the presence of armed Hezbollah forces and weapons storage and manufacturing sites.

The outposts, an expansion of an idea first broached to Biden's Middle East Envoy Amos Hochstein, are meant to remain in Lebanon until February 28, in order to ensure Hezbollah does not succeed in rebuilding its forces and infrastructure in Lebanon.

The IDF continues to hit Hezbollah with selective strikes whenever clear efforts are being made to move weapons into or around southern Lebanon or when the terrorist group has tried to rebuild tunnels or other hidden sites for weapons storage or manufacture.

It has also insisted that planes from Iran or Iraq landing in Lebanon undergo thorough inspection to make sure the Islamic Republic is not trying to smuggle in money and weapons to help the Shiite proxy army to rebuild. According to Lebanese media, planes from both countries are indeed being inspected, though it would not specify by whom.