Detonation carried out by the Israeli army in Houla (Marjayoun district) on Jan. 23, 2025. (Photo sent to L'Orient Today's correspondent by residents)
BEIRUT — Three days before their scheduled withdrawal from southern Lebanon on Jan. 26 as per the cease-fire agreement reached with Hezbollah, Israeli forces continued detonating buildings, further raising doubts as to whether troops will fulfill the deal's terms by Sunday. Hezbollah warned, in a statement release Thursday, against any failure to meet the deadline.
According to Haaretz, outgoing Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Herzog said on Sunday that Israel is in talks with the Trump administration to extend the Israeli army's presence in southern Lebanon beyond the Sunday deadline, "to allow the Lebanese Army to truly deploy and fulfill its role under the agreement."
"These talks are ongoing," Herzog said. "The incoming administration understands our security needs and position, and I believe we will reach an agreement on this matter."
Commenting on the possible extension, Hezbollah said active players in the deal's implementation should work to "ensure the ... full withdrawal and the deployment of the Lebanese Army to the last inch of Lebanese territory and the rapid return of people to their villages, and not to give way to any pretexts or excuses to prolong the occupation," the party's the statement reads.
Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri met with the head of the cease-fire monitoring committee, U.S. General Jasper Jeffers, in the presence of U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Lisa Johnson in Beirut, to review the situation and discuss Israel's withdrawal and its violations, the National News Agency reported.
Israeli violations persist
The Israeli army continued its destruction of southern Lebanon on Thursday. In the morning, the Israeli troops set fire to a house in the eastern neighborhood of the village of Qantara, in Marjayoun district, demolished buildings in agricultural areas in the Maysset sector in Wazzani, also in Marjayoun district, and carried out large detonations in Mais al-Jabal and Kfarkila later in the day.
The Israeli army destroyed all 11 recreational park areas built along the banks of the Wazzani River on Thursday morning. Witnesses heard explosions that lasted for more than an hour and saw columns of smoke rising from the river.
In the afternoon, in Marjayoun District's village of Houla, Israel rigged facilities related to the South Lebanon "Canal-800" water irrigation project with explosives and destroyed them. Throughout the war, Israel targeted infrastructure necessary for providing water to residents in southern Lebanon, cutting off dozens of villages from their water supply.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) told L'Orient Today on Thursday morning that two soldiers from the Finnish contingent were "slightly injured" on Wednesday afternoon by an "explosion most likely related to a controlled demolition near Markaba," in the district of Marjayoun.
"In addition to these injuries, a U.N. vehicle was significantly damaged," said a statement from UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti. "We reiterate the importance of the parties ensuring the safety and security of U.N. personnel and premises."
Israel claimed, through the army's Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee, that its forces had confiscated and destroyed weapons belonging to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, though he did not specifying when this happened.
Adraee said that forces of 7th Brigade, commanded by the Galilee Division (91), "found large quantities of weapons, including Kornet rockets, bombs and Kalashnikov rifles," all of which were confiscated or destroyed. "Troops also found several underground tunnel routes that were used as shelters and weapons storage sites for ... Hezbollah," he said in a statement published on X.
Hezbollah's warning
In its Thursday statement, Hezbollah said that any violation of the agreement is "a continued violation of Lebanese sovereignty." The Israeli army has killed over 40 people since the cease-fire was implemented, and, according to a source close to the cease-fire monitoring committee, has violated the terms more than 800 times.
Hezbollah said these violations must be must be dealt with "by the state using all means and methods guaranteed by international conventions ... to reclaim the land," and warned that with the 60-day deadline approaching, "some leaks that talk about the enemy postponing its withdrawal and staying longer in Lebanon require everyone, especially the political authority in Lebanon, to act effectively and keep pace with the last days of the deadline."
"While we will follow the developments of the situation, which are supposed to culminate in a complete withdrawal in the coming days, we will not accept any violation of the agreement and commitments, and any attempt to evade them under flimsy pretexts," the statement concludes. "We call for strict adherence to the agreement without any concessions."
Israeli government spokesperson David Mercer told reporters on Thursday that while it sees "positive movements" where the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL have replaced Hezbollah, "we've also made clear that these movements have not been fast enough, and there is much more work to do," he said, cited by Reuters.
Mencer did not directly respond to questions about whether Israel had requested an extension of the deal or say whether Israeli forces would remain in Lebanon after the 60-day deadline. Three diplomats said it looked like Israeli forces would still be in some parts of southern Lebanon after the 60-day mark.
Residents waiting to return
At around noon on Thursday, Khiam residents arrived at the Lebanese Army checkpoint at the northern entrance to their town, on their way to return home following the Israeli army's withdrawal.
In Naqoura, residents were also allowed to return, but only for four hours, under the supervision of the Lebanese Army, and just to inspect their properties, the mayor of Naqoura, Abbas Awada, said.
Awada explained that the four hour period was meant to prepare the conditions for a proper return, which have not yet been met. Naqoura residents are awaiting a final decision from the Lebanese state regarding their return, the mayor explained.
Several Lebanese Army vehicles have been stationed at the entrance of Aita al-Shaab, in Bint Jbeil district.
Civil Defense search and rescue teams recovered two more bodies from under the rubble in Khiam, in Marjayoun district, where they have been working for more than a month to find dozens of missing residents killed in Israeli bombardment. Since moving into areas where the Israeli army has withdrawn, and accompanied by the Lebanese Army, rescue teams have already found dozens of bodies — around 50 in Khiam alone — which were sent to local hospitals for DNA testing.
Reporting contributed by Muntasser Abdallah