BEIRUT, Lebanon, Feb. 18 (UPI) — Israeli Army forces withdrew Tuesday from the last border towns and villages in southern Lebanon they captured during the war with Hezbollah, paving the way for the deployment of the Lebanese Army and the return of displaced residents who found their homes and neighborhoods in ruin.
But the Israeli pullout remained incomplete after Tel Aviv decided, with authorization from the United States, to retain five strategic positions in southern Lebanon beyond the Feb. 18 cease-fire.
Lebanon decided to go to the U.N. Security Council to secure Israel’s complete withdrawal, warning that the continued Israeli presence on its land would be considered as “an occupation.”
Israel should have pulled out its forces Jan. 26 under a cease-fire agreement brokered by the United States and France on Nov. 27 to end its bloodiest war with Iran-backed Hezbollah.
The accord stipulates that the Lebanese Army will deploy in the area, while Hezbollah fighters withdraw beyond the Litani River.
The original 60-day deadline was extended until Feb. 18 after Israel refused to evacuate south Lebanon, claiming slow Lebanese Army deployment and continued Hezbollah military presence in areas prohibited by the agreement.
Lebanon repeatedly rejected Israel’s claims, accusing it of procrastinating its troop withdrawal and continuing its violations of the cease-fire accord.
By maintaining five strategic hilltop outposts within southern Lebanon near the border for an indefinite period, Israel is putting the fragile cease-fire accord at risk with fears that its continued occupation would sooner or later trigger a popular resistance.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri decided after a meeting Tuesday to address the U.N. Security Council, which could demand that Israel withdraw immediately to the international borders in line with U.N. Resolution 1701.
The three leaders said in a statement that the Lebanese Army was “fully ready to assume all its duties on the internationally recognized borders,” warning that the continued Israeli presence in “any inch” of Lebanese territory will be considered as “an occupation.”
The U.N. acknowledged that Israeli Army forces have withdrawn from population centers in southern Lebanon, while the Lebanese Army has deployed “in challenging conditions” to help displaced civilians return to their villages.
The delay in completing the Israeli withdrawal was “not what we hoped would happen,” said a joint statement by U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert and Lt. Gen. Aroldo Lázaro, commander of the U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, known as UNIFIL.
The statement said the continued Israeli presence in Lebanese territories was “a violation of Resolution 1701”, which was adopted in 2006 to end a then 33-day war between Hezbollah and Israel and formed the basis of the Nov. 27 cease-fire agreement.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed Tuesday that the Army will remain in “a buffer zone” in southern Lebanon as of Tuesday, running five strategic outposts “to secure protection” for all towns in northern Israel.
Katz was quoted by The Times of Israel as saying in a statement that the Israeli Army will “forcefully” enforce the terms of the cease-fire deal “without compromise against any violation by Hezbollah,” which should withdraw beyond the Litani River and be disarmed.
The Lebanese Army announced that its forces, in coordination with the cease-fire committee and UNIFIL, deployed in 11 villages in the eastern and central sectors of southern Lebanon after the Israeli withdrawal Tuesday.
The soldiers began to clear roads leading to the villages by removing earther barriers and roadblocks, while searching for mines and bombs planted by the Israeli forces.
The displaced residents, who rushed to check their homes and properties since the early morning hours, were asked by the Lebanese soldiers to wait until they complete their deployment and remove rubble from the streets.
Many entered their villages on foot or by motorcycle, trying to locate their homes, which were mostly turned into piles of rubble by the Israelis’ relentless air and ground bombardment during the 14-month destructive war with Hezbollah.
Others were just searching for the bodies of civilians and Hezbollah fighters killed during the ground invasion launched by Israel in south Lebanon last September.
More than 20,000 people have been killed or wounded in Lebanon since October 2023, when the war started in support of Gaza with daily cross border attacks.
However, most of the casualties were reported after Israel escalated its attacks against Hezbollah, killing its top leaders, destroying its military infrastructure and invading south Lebanon where it kept on destroying homes and bulldozing villages.
“Nothing is left,” was a common description of what returning civilians saw.
