Israel will stay in strategic villages in Lebanon past deadline to pull out

Israel’s decision to maintain a presence in strategic locations in Lebanon sets up a diplomatic test for the Trump administration as it tries to maintain ceasefires in Lebanon and Gaza.

Israeli military vehicles in northern Israel near the border with Lebanon, in the southern Lebanese village of Marwahin. Picture: AFP

Israel’s military said it would maintain a presence in five strategic locations along its border with Lebanon past a deadline to remove troops as part of a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah, garnering pushback from Beirut.

Israel said it needed to keep the positions, all seated on high ground near its border with Lebanon, to ensure the safety of Israeli communities there.

“Based on the current situation, we will leave small amounts of troops deployed temporarily in five strategic points along the border in Lebanon so we can continue to defend our residents and to make sure there’s no immediate threat,” Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, a spokesman for Israel’s military, told reporters.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Monday that the country’s military is prepared for a transfer of control and emphasised the importance of Israel’s full exit.

“The Israeli enemy cannot be trusted, and we are afraid that the complete withdrawal will not be achieved tomorrow,” he said.

The decision to maintain a presence in Lebanon past the deadline sets up a diplomatic test for the Trump administration as it tries to maintain ceasefires in both Lebanon and Gaza. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is on his first visit to the Middle East as chief diplomat this week, meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday after a visit to Israel the day before.

Neither Hezbollah nor the Lebanese military are likely in a strong enough position to militarily challenge Israel’s decision to stay. The move reflects a series of military victories by Israel in southern Lebanon that have also weakened Hezbollah’s benefactor, Iran.

Overlooking Israeli border communities, the positions could enable the military to respond quickly to any threats, said Shoshani. Lebanese officials have said the positions include sites near the towns of Khiam, Odaisseh, Naqoura and Ramyeh.

An Israeli military vehicle deploys on the Israel-Lebanon border. Picture: AFP

They overlook Israeli communities including Shlomi, Saluq, Margaliot, Zarit, Nurit, Shtula, Har Dov and Metula, according to an Israeli security official.

He said the arrangement is temporary and control of the points will eventually be handed over to Lebanon’s armed forces, without specifying a timeline.

The Trump administration’s deputy Middle East envoy Morgan Ortagus said earlier this month that the U.S. remained committed to the Feb. 18 deadline for Israeli troops to withdraw.

U.S. Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers, who is helping co-ordinate the new security arrangement in southern Lebanon, said the U.S. will continue to work with the parties beyond the deadline.

“We will continue to assist with the implementation,” he said, “even beyond the 18th of February.”

Lebanese army soldiers stand guard at the entrance of the southern Lebanese village of Houla. Picture: AFP

Hezbollah began firing rockets across the border shortly after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel that killed some 1200 people and sparked the war in the Gaza Strip.

Hezbollah launched some 17,000 rockets, missiles and drones across the border since the conflict began, according to Israel’s military. Tens of thousands of Israelis were displaced and most of them are yet to return home.

After months of exchanges of fire along their shared border, Israel launched limited ground operations and later a full-scale invasion of southern Lebanon. The war left Hezbollah significantly weakened, killing its top leadership and wiping out much of its weapons stockpiles. The conflict has displaced as many as one million people in Lebanon and destroyed hundreds of buildings near Beirut.

Israel has also pressed the government of Lebanon to cut off Hezbollah’s cash flow by blocking Iranian flights it says are carrying funds for the group.

The Wall Street Journal