US envoy Hochstein says Israel began withdrawal from second Lebanese town

Both parties accuse the other of violations as 60-day deadline approaches for Israel to pull troops out of southern Lebanon

US envoy Amos Hochstein arrived in Beirut on Monday ahead of a meeting of the committee monitoring the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which has entered its second month. The visit comes amid mounting tension and accusations of violations from both sides.

On Sunday, Mr Hochstein met Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan in Riyadh. The two discussed current regional issues, including developments in Lebanon.

Israel and Hezbollah accused one another at the weekend of breaking the terms of the ceasefire deal that took effect on November 27.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz accused the Iran-backed group on Sunday of not meeting the terms of the ceasefire, warning that if it continued to breach the deal, Israel would “be forced to act”.

Similarly, Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem accused Israel of violating the ceasefire and said the group was prepared to respond even before the expiry of a 60-day deadline for Israel to withdraw from southern Lebanon.

“We have said that we are giving an opportunity to prevent Israeli violations and to implement the agreement, and we will exercise patience,” Mr Qassem said.

Mr Hochstein’s visit comes ahead of a session of Lebanon's Parliament on Thursday to address the presidential vacancy that has persisted for more than two years. The prolonged vacancy, rooted in the failure to reach consensus on a candidate, reflects a familiar pattern in Lebanese politics.

The fragile ceasefire, brokered by the US and France, requires Israel to withdraw its forces from about 60 villages along the border by January 26. Concurrently, Hezbollah is obligated to relocate its fighters and infrastructure north of the Litani river, farther from Israel, while the Lebanese Army is deployed at the southern border.

Media reports suggest Israel is advocating an extension of the ceasefire, citing concerns that Hezbollah has not withdrawn fully from the designated areas and that there are insufficient Lebanese troops deployed to maintain security. Lebanon, however, disputes these claims, asserting that both Hezbollah and the army have complied with the terms of the agreement.

On Monday evening, the Lebanese Army announced it had stationed units in the coastal town of Naqoura and that Israeli troops had left the area as the ceasefire monitoring committee was due to meet. It said the movement was in co-ordination with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, and surveys would be taken of the town to identify unexploded ordinance before a full deployment of troops in the next phase.

Members of France's battalion in the United Nations' Unifil peacekeeping mission stand during a visit by French ministers in their base in the southern Lebanese village of Deir Kifa on December 31, 2024. AFP

Mr Hochstein confirmed the beginning of an Israeli withdrawal in Naqoura. "The Israeli military started its withdrawal from Naqoura... and back into Israel proper today, south of the Blue Line. These withdrawals will continue until all Israeli forces are out of Lebanon completely, and as the Lebanese army continues to deploy into the south and all the way to the Blue Line," Mr Hochstein told reporters, referring to the UN-demarcated boundary between the two countries.

Gen Mounir Shehadeh, former Lebanese Army co-ordinator with Unifil, said the Lebanese Army has equipped 6,000 troops to deploy in south Lebanon, but they could not do so until Israel's military has retreated from its positions.

“The delay is caused by Israel and it is Israel that is preventing the deployment of the Lebanese army,” he told The National, adding Israel had been “slow to withdraw” from the area.

The Jerusalem Post on Sunday reported that Israeli and US efforts were under way to extend the ceasefire with Hezbollah to avoid either a premature withdrawal or a return to a full-scale war in the north.

Lebanon and Hezbollah have criticised Israel for its limited withdrawal, noting that Israeli forces have vacated only a few of the 60 villages they control along the border. They have also condemned continuing Israeli air strikes and overflights across Lebanese territory, calling these actions clear breaches of the truce. Israel, in turn, says the Lebanese military has not done enough to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure in the region.

Unifil has repeatedly accused Israel of breaching the ceasefire terms. On Sunday morning, “peacekeepers observed an [Israeli military] bulldozer destroying a blue barrel marking the line of withdrawal between Lebanon and Israel in Labbouneh, as well as an observation tower belonging to the Lebanese Armed Forces immediately beside a Unifil position there,” the UN force said.

Both parties have accused each other of undermining the ceasefire. Israel has conducted air strikes on what it claims are Hezbollah positions, saying these measures are necessary to prevent any movement of weapons. Hezbollah has warned of potential retaliation if Israeli forces do not complete their withdrawal by the agreed deadline.

Gen Shehadeh said Hezbollah's decision on whether to withdraw from the area by the 60-day deadline or respond to Israeli strikes would be affected by the thousands of displaced Lebanese trying to return home.

“Many people have returned to renovate their homes that were damaged during the war,” he said. “This is the only pressure on Hezbollah to carefully consider its response to these violations and the ongoing occupation, should Israel fail to withdraw. However, if the occupation persists and Israel continues its violations, the group will not remain idle—despite the significant costs this may entail.”

The international committee overseeing the ceasefire, headed by US military official Maj Gen Jasper Jeffers, plays a crucial role in mediating these disputes. Mr Jeffers and Mr Hochstein met Army Commander General Joseph Aoun on Monday.