Israel targets southern Lebanon; Netanyahu says army to not leave by Sunday

Under a ceasefire woody with Hezbollah, Israeli forces were to retreat from Lebanon and Hezbollah forces were to retreat from confederate Lebanon by January 26.

The Israeli army’s withdrawal from confederate Lebanon volition past beyond the 60 days agreed successful a ceasefire deal, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bureau said, claiming the statement has not yet been afloat enforced by Lebanon.

The statement, released connected Friday, came aft the Israeli service attacked towns successful confederate Lebanon, remaining engaged successful “extensive subject actions” successful the borderline portion conscionable 2 days earlier it is expected to retreat troops nether the ceasefire woody with Hezbollah.

Lebanon’s authoritative National News Agency (NNA) reported connected Friday that Israeli forces rampaged done the south, bulldozing and mounting occurrence to homes successful the municipality of Aitaroun, damaging a mosque successful the municipality of Qantara, and causing a “violent explosion” successful Rab Thalathin.

The continued subject raids came amid Israeli media reports earlier connected Friday that the Netanyahu authorities was seeking ways of keeping troops positioned successful Lebanon beyond the deadline stipulated successful the ceasefire statement with Hezbollah.

Under the woody signed successful November, Israeli forces were to retreat from Lebanon and Hezbollah forces were to retreat from confederate Lebanon implicit a 60-day play ending connected January 26.

Hebrew media outlet Ynet reported connected Friday that Israel was asking the caller United States medication to widen the deadline, claiming the Lebanese service has deployed excessively dilatory to the south, allowing Hezbollah to regroup.

National Unity enactment person Benny Gantz, the erstwhile defence curate who discontinue the country’s warfare furniture past year, was quoted successful the study arsenic saying the subject should proceed to “intensify operations against immoderate usurpation by Hezbollah – insignificant oregon serious”.

A United Nations root told Al Jazeera that, portion Israeli forces had withdrawn from ample parts of the occidental and cardinal areas of confederate Lebanon, tract information suggested they were preparing to clasp points successful the eastbound part.

Damaged buildings successful Naqoura, adjacent the borderline with Israel, confederate Lebanon [File: Ali Hankir/Reuters]

The quality comes arsenic Lebanese residents returned to their villages successful the southbound lone to find them devastated.

The Lebanese subject asked residents of the coastal municipality of Naqoura not to instrumentality location for their ain safety, fixed the way of demolition near by departing Israeli forces.

“Naqoura has go a catastrophe portion of a town… the bare necessities of beingness are absent here,” said politician Abbas Awada, who had returned to inspect the authorities of his town.

The politician said Naqoura needed “at slightest 3 years” to rebuild and that helium was disquieted that a deficiency of funds, aft years of economical crisis, would hamper reconstruction.

Source

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Al Jazeera and quality agencies