Israel issued a warning on Sunday that if Hezbollah fails to withdraw from southern Lebanon beyond the Litani River, a crucial requirement of the truce, it could lead to the collapse of the agreement.
Hezbollah and Israel have both claimed that the other has repeatedly broken the agreement.
From November 27, the parties agreed to halt hostilities for 60 days. While Israeli ground forces withdrew from Lebanon, Hezbollah fighters were expected to retreat 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the Israel-Lebanon border.
The ceasefire agreement established that the Lebanese military and UN peacekeeping forces would be the only armed groups present south of the Litani River before January 26.
Israel Katz, the Israeli Defense Minister, declared on Sunday that Hezbollah’s withdrawal beyond the Litani River is a prerequisite for reaching an agreement.
Katz stated that Israel is committed to maintaining the agreement in Lebanon and will continue to enforce it without any compromise to guarantee the safe return of northern residents to their homes, as reported by his spokesperson.
Rivalry strikes have occurred frequently since the truce’s implementation. Meanwhile, Hezbollah has fired at Israeli-occupied territory, citing Israeli truce violations, while Israel has conducted numerous operations in southern Lebanon.
Less than a week after its implementation, the United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, reported that Israel had violated the ceasefire agreement “approximately 100” times.
UNIFIL reported on Saturday that an Israeli military bulldozer destroyed a blue barrel marking the line of withdrawal between Lebanon and Israel in Labbouneh and a Lebanese Armed Forces observation tower next to a UNIFIL position.
“The Israel Defense Forces’ deliberate and direct destruction of both clearly identifiable UNIFIL property and infrastructure belonging to the Lebanese Armed Forces is a flagrant violation of international law and resolution 1701,” a 2006 resolution that calls for a complete cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, according to UNIFIL.
