Israeli military to withdraw from South Lebanon on Jan. 26: Maariv

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen + Israeli media
17 Jan 2025 15:36
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An Israeli military correspondent says the Israeli military is intensifying its search operations to identify and destroy as much of Hezbollah’s infrastructure as possible before the withdrawal.

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An Israeli army vehicle drives through destroyed buildings in an area of the village of Odaisseh in South Lebanon, on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024 (AP)

As the 60-day deadline for the Israeli withdrawal from South Lebanon approaches on January 26, attention is increasingly focused on the region.

The military correspondent for the Israeli newspaper Maariv, Avi Ashkenazi, said the Israeli military will complete its withdrawal from the remaining areas of southern Lebanon at the end of the 60th day, on the 26th of this month.

He indicated that the Israeli military is intensifying its search operations to identify and destroy as much of Hezbollah’s infrastructure as possible before the withdrawal, noting that the Lebanese army will later take over the area.

Ashkenazi noted that the Israeli military has already begun withdrawing from locations such as al-Naqoura and Khiam.

Earlier on Friday, Al Mayadeen's correspondent in South Lebanon reported that the Israeli occupation forces carried out an explosion in the town of Mays al-Jabal.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese Army is preparing to enter approximately 20 sites in southern Lebanon's eastern sector.

The continued Israeli violations come in parallel with French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to Lebanon, in which he called for accelerated implementation of the November ceasefire deal that ended the Israeli war on the country.

"There have been results... but they must be accelerated and long-lasting. There needs to be complete withdrawal of Israeli forces, and the Lebanese army must hold total monopoly of any weapons" in South Lebanon, he said at a joint press conference with his Lebanese counterpart Joseph Aoun.

Macron’s first meeting in Lebanon was with the American and French officers overseeing the implementation of ceasefire measures and the full application of Resolution 1701.

Lebanon's outgoing Prime Minister Najib Mikati said the French President will provide an update on the outcome of this meeting during a noon gathering in Baabda, expressing confidence that matters are progressing toward completing the Israeli withdrawal on time.