Ceasefire deadline expires for all Israeli troops to leave south Lebanon under a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah. Israeli troops had started withdrawing from some border villages, but they seemed poised to stay in key areas. Hezbollah strongholds in south and east Lebanon and south Beirut saw heavy destruction during two months of all-out war and a year of cross-border hostilities. Authorities estimate reconstruction costs could reach more than $10 billion, while more than 100,000 remain internally displaced, according to U.N. figures. Around 60 people have reportedly been killed since the truce began, two dozen of them on January 26 as residents tried to return to border towns on the initial withdrawal deadline. The ceasefire was brokered by Washington and Paris, and Lebanon’s military was to deploy alongside United Nations peacekeepers as the Israeli army withdrew over a 60-day period that was extended to February 18. The Israeli military said Monday it would remain temporarily \”in five strategic points\” dotted along the length of the shared border in order to \”continue to defend our residents and to make sure there’s no immediate threat\” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel would do what it has to to \”enforce\” the ceasefire.
Ceasefire deadline expires for all Israeli troops to leave s….
