Lebanon’s parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri said on Thursday that Beirut rejected Israel’s demand to remain in five southern locations after a February 18 deadline for fully implementing a ceasefire deal.
Concerns have mounted ahead of a deadline for the fragile truce, agreed to in November 2024, that ended more than a year of hostilities, including a brief all-out war, between Israel and the Hezbollah terror group, after the latter started firing rockets and drones at the Jewish state on October 8, 2023, in solidarity with fellow terror group Hamas, which had just attacked Israel from the Gaza Strip.
Under the deal, Lebanon’s military was to deploy in the south alongside United Nations peacekeepers as the Israeli army withdrew over a 60-day period, which was extended until February 18. Iran-backed Hezbollah was also meant to leave its positions in the south, near the Israeli border, over that period.
Israel has accused Lebanon of failing to meet its obligations to deploy to the area, allowing Hezbollah to maintain or renew its presence there, and has petitioned to maintain its presence in response.
The United States, a key mediator, “informed me that the Israeli occupation will withdraw from villages it still occupies on February 18, but it will remain in five points,” Hezbollah ally Berri told reporters, according to a statement released by his office.
“I informed them in my name and on behalf of President General Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Judge Nawaf Salam of our absolute rejection” of this proposal,” the statement added.
Earlier, Berri had met with US Ambassador to Lebanon Lisa Johnson and US Major General Jasper Jeffers.
The American general co-chairs a committee involving the United States, France, Lebanon, Israel and UN peacekeepers tasked with ensuring any ceasefire violations are identified and dealt with.
“I refused to discuss any extension to the deadline for [Israel’s] withdrawal,” Berri said.
“It is the responsibility of the Americans to enforce the withdrawal, otherwise, they will have caused the greatest setback for the government.”
The statements came after Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer confirmed Israel’s intention to remain in the five points in an interview with Bloomberg.
Dermer, a close Netanyahu confidant, did not say how long the troops will remain, but “signaled Israeli troops won’t be removed in the short-term.”
His comments came after reports that the US — despite originally rejecting a general extension — had approved such a move.
On Saturday, Lebanon’s prime minister named a new government, with the weakening of long-dominant, Iran-backed Hezbollah bringing to a close two years of rule by caretaker authorities.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said, “we continue to urge Israel and Lebanon to honor their commitments to the cessation of hostilities understanding.”
“Continued progress in Lebanese Armed Forces redeployment and Israeli Defense Force withdrawal is crucial,” Haq said, adding that “the parties must avoid any action that could raise tensions, endanger civilians and further delay their return to their towns and villages on both sides.”
Haq added that the “UN continues to urge the full implementation of Resolution 1701 as a comprehensive path towards longer term peace, security and stability on both sides of the Blue Line.”
He was referring to the UN Security Council decision that ended a 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.
Under Resolution 1701, only the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers can be deployed in southern Lebanon, and Hezbollah must remain north of the Litani River, some 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the Israeli border.