The Lebanese military occupied population centers in the south after the withdrawal of Israeli forces

Lebanese army units together with peacekeepers from the UN Interim Force in Lebanon conducted a large-scale operation, during which posts were set up in localities bordering Israel. The ministry's website reported on January 27.

"The army continues to escort people returning to the southern border towns and to stand by them based on its national duty, given the enemy's persistence in attacking soldiers and people, resulting in a large number of dead and wounded, as well as its blatant refusal to honor the ceasefire agreement and withdraw from Lebanese territory," the Lebanese army informed.

It is specified that in parallel, the army continues to enter and deploy in several southern cities, urging citizens to respect the directives of the military units.

The ministry also said it is closely monitoring the situation in coordination with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon and the Five-Year Ceasefire Agreement Oversight Committee.

Long Conclusions: Israel delays withdrawal from Lebanon

IDF troops left only one town during the truce with Hezbollah

Earlier, on January 26, Lebanon's Health Ministry reported the deaths of 15 people in Israeli shelling. It also reported at least 80 wounded in 15 different neighborhoods in the south of the country.

A day earlier, it was reported that an officer and a soldier were injured due to the explosion of an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) SUV. They were evacuated by military medical helicopter to a hospital inside Israel.

In response to these actions, residents of southern Lebanon announced protests demanding that Israel withdraw its troops from Lebanese soil.

The escalation of hostilities between Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah followed the events of September 17 and 18, 2024, when thousands of people in Lebanon, including members of the movement, were injured when pagers and other communication devices were detonated. Thereafter, Israel continued to eliminate the leadership of the Shiite movement and to strike Lebanese territory.

At the end of November, an indefinite ceasefire agreement between the States came into effect. Starting November 27, Israel was to gradually withdraw its troops from the neighboring country within 60 days. However, at the end of December 2024, the UN peacekeeping mission reported to Izvestia that during the ceasefire Israel withdrew its troops from only one town in southern Lebanon.

The situation in the Middle East escalated on the morning of October 7, 2023, when the Palestinian radical movement Hamas subjected Israeli territory to a massive rocket attack from the Gaza Strip. On the same day, Israel began retaliatory strikes.