Israel Defense Forces troops have remained in their positions in Southern Lebanon since the truce with Iranian-backed Hezbollah went into effect on Wednesday morning, an Israeli security source told the Associated Press, reiterating that the IDF will only gradually withdraw.
“We need to see the mechanism is working,” said the unnamed security official. “It’s a gradual agreement. It’s a gradual withdrawal.”
The official would not say when soldiers would begin the withdrawal but said the redeployment would be completed during the 60-day period laid out in Tuesday’s ceasefire deal with the Lebanese government.
He said the pace of the withdrawal and the possible return of Lebanese noncombatants to villages near the Israeli border would depend on whether the agreement is implemented and enforced by all sides.
Hezbollah has launched some 16,000 rockets, missiles and drones at Israel since joining the war in support of Hamas on Oct. 8, 2023, a day after the Gaza-based terrorist organization’s massacre in southern Israel.
Nearly 70,000 residents of Israel’s north have been internally displaced due to the attacks from Lebanon. During “Operation Northern Arrows,” 45 civilians and 79 troops were killed, according to data from the Alma Research and Education Center, which monitors the northern fronts.
The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon took effect at 4 a.m. local time Wednesday, ending nearly 14 months of hostilities. The IDF will respond “forcefully” to all violations of the deal by Hezbollah, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Tuesday night.
As part of the deal, Israel promised to gradually withdraw from Southern Lebanon, where the IDF has been operating since early October, reaching as far as the Litani River on Tuesday for the first time since 2000.
As the IDF withdraws, Lebanese forces are to enter these areas and ensure that Hezbollah retreats north of the Litani, located some 18 miles north of the border with Israel. The U.S. and France are to oversee compliance by receiving regular updates from diplomats and military officials.
