'Israel' asked for 30 more days to withdraw from Lebanon: Haaretz
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Israeli newspaper Haaretz reveals that the Israeli occupation is engaging in extensive discussions in a bid to extend the timeline for its withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
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The Lebanese village of Meiss El-Jabal is seen from across the border in northern occupied Palestine, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025 (AP)
The Israeli occupation has requested the United States to delay the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon by 30 days beyond the deadline set in the ceasefire agreement. This information comes from a source familiar with the details who spoke to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
According to the publication, the United States, France, Lebanon, and the Israeli occupation are in intensive discussions regarding this matter, as reported by a French diplomatic source. The source explained that France would accept any outcome agreed upon by the concerned parties, including Lebanon and the Israeli occupation, to ensure the continuation of the ceasefire.
In a radio interview with the Israeli Army Radio, Michael Herzog, the Israeli occupation's ambassador to the United States, confirmed that "Israel' was in discussions with President Trump's administration to extend the Israeli military's presence in southern Lebanon beyond the upcoming Sunday, the scheduled withdrawal date according to the ceasefire agreement.
He added that the US administration understands the Israeli occupation's security needs and expects to reach an understanding on this issue.
The agreement stipulates that the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon must occur within 60 days of its signing, with the Lebanese army taking over the area.
'Israel' trying to buy time
However, Herzog claimed that "this is not fixed" and said the "agreement allows for certain flexibility." He explained that the discussions with Trump administration officials aim to "extend the time necessary to allow the Lebanese army to deploy its forces and carry out its mission as per the agreement."
The ceasefire agreement came into effect on November 27, and it requires the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon over a 60-day period. During this time, the Lebanese army is to move its forces to the southern border.
The Lebanese Al Akhbar newspaper reported that UN sources in southern Lebanon have said that Israeli forces informed the Ceasefire Monitoring Committee of their need for "additional time" in the eastern sector, while they plan to withdraw definitively from the central and western sectors within the next three days, marking the end of the 60-day period.
The Israeli occupation continues to violate the ceasefire agreement with Lebanon, disregarding any international agreements. Consequently, the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon warns that its patience may run out at any moment.
An Al Mayadeen correspondent reported Thursday that several Israeli tanks infiltrated the western outskirts of the town of Mais al-Jabal, with infantry forces firing bursts of machine gun fire while infiltrating some houses.
Our correspondent also noted that an Israeli drone dropped incendiary bombs on a house on the outskirts of the town of al-Qantara, causing it to catch fire.
Scorched earth tactics
As Israeli forces continue their campaign of destruction in Lebanese border villages, including civilian properties, Lebanese MP Ali Fayyad, a member of the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc, denounced the actions on Wednesday, describing them as "an insistence on turning the border area into scorched earth."
Speaking to Al Mayadeen, Fayyad dismissed Israeli claims of "destroying the Resistance's infrastructure," stating that these allegations are "untrue and merely serve as a pretext."
Fayyad criticized the Lebanese government's stance on the ongoing aggression, noting that it "lacks firmness and seems to have resigned itself to this trajectory until the end of the two-month deadline." He emphasized that "what deters the enemy is the balance of power held by the region's peoples in the face of Israeli aggression."
Meanwhile, Al Mayadeen’s correspondent in southern Lebanon reported that Israeli forces carried out massive explosions in multiple neighborhoods in the town of Taybeh. The sounds of detonations echoed throughout the town, accompanied by the torching of several homes.
