Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel suggested that the country may not complete its withdrawal of forces from Lebanon by the deadline set in the ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah. Under the deal, Israel was supposed to withdraw by Sunday, while Hezbollah militants were to pull back to the north of the Litani River, with Lebanese armed forces patrolling the buffer zone in southern Lebanon alongside U.N. peacekeepers. Netanyahu indicated that the withdrawal process could possibly continue beyond the deadline due to the Lebanese government not fully enforcing the agreement. Israeli officials have been in talks with the U.S., who believes that a short extension of the ceasefire is needed to ensure the safety of Israeli citizens returning to their homes in northern Israel and to support the new Lebanese government under President Michel Aoun. The U.S. is also focused on preventing Hezbollah from threatening Lebanon and its neighbors. There was no immediate response from Lebanon or Hezbollah to Netanyahu’s statement.
Photo credit
www.nbcnews.com
Deal includes release of four hostages from Gaza
