Israel reportedly seeks postponement of withdrawal from Lebanon as ceasefire deadline looms

Israel asked the US for a further 30 days to withdraw from southern Lebanon, according to local media, only days ahead of the 60-day deadline stipulated in the ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah. 

The news comes as Israel claims the terms of the ceasefire with Hezbollah were not being implemented quickly enough and that more progress was needed. Meanwhile, the Iran-backed militant group called for increased pressure to ensure Israeli forces withdraw by Monday - as outlined in the agreement. 

The deal, brokered by the US and France, requires Israeli troops to withdraw from southern Lebanon, for Hezbollah to remove fighters and weapons from the area and that Lebanese troops deploy in the region. 

It ended more than a year of hostilities between both factions which peaked with an Israeli ground invasion of Lebanon that displaced more than 1.2 million people and killed more than 3,500 people, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. 

However, Israel claims that the Lebanese army has deployed too slowly across the region and that they reportedly continue to find Hezbollah weapons caches in the region. 

Hezbollah said in a statement that Israel postponing its withdrawal would be unacceptable and “an infringement on Lebanese sovereignty.” 

Commitment to supporting Lebanon has been reaffirmed by major international players, including the United Nation’s High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. 

“Lebanon is entering a new phase of hope and optimism,” he said while visiting the country on Thursday, discussing support for displaced Lebanese refugees following the conflict with top state officials. 

Saudi Arabia’s top diplomat also made his first official trip to Lebanon in a decade after years of strained ties – sparking optimism of