Israel persists in shirking its commitments under ceasefire: Lebanese army

By Naim Berjawi and Rania Abu Shamala

BEIRUT (AA) - The Lebanese Army accused Israel on Wednesday of continuing to avoid its commitments under a ceasefire agreement and violating Lebanon’s sovereignty.

In its first official response to Israel’s ongoing occupation of five border points in southern Lebanon, the army affirmed that its units “continue to deploy across all southern border towns in coordination with the Quintet Committee overseeing the ceasefire agreement and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) following the withdrawal of Israeli forces from these areas."

The Israeli army “remains stationed at several border points inside Lebanese territory, persistently evading its commitments and violating Lebanese sovereignty through continuous aggression against Lebanon’s security and its citizens,” it added.

The statement emphasized that "the enemy has not fully withdrawn from the occupied Lebanese territories, in violation of international conventions, international legitimacy, and United Nations resolutions, foremost among them Resolution 1701."

On Tuesday, the Israeli army withdrew from southern Lebanese towns but maintained a military presence at five border outposts.

A fragile ceasefire has been in place in Lebanon since Nov. 27, ending months of mutual shelling between Israel and the Hezbollah group that escalated into a full-scale conflict last September.

Despite the ceasefire, Israel has still committed nearly 1,000 violations, killing and injuring dozens in Lebanon, including women and children.

Under the ceasefire deal, Israel was supposed to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by Jan. 26, but the deadline was extended to Feb. 18 after Israel refused to comply.