The Israeli army has left only one Lebanese town, al-Hiyam, as part of the truce with Hezbollah. The UN mission told Izvestiya, adding that the delayed withdrawal of IDF forces prevents the Lebanese army from deploying its units in the south. A Lebanese source confirmed to Izvestia that the withdrawal of the Israeli military is being significantly delayed. The prolongation of the Jewish state's military presence in the south is exacerbating tensions, and confidence in the ceasefire agreement could be undermined. Meanwhile, peacekeeping forces, together with the Lebanese Army, will soon begin demining roads in the region.
Israel maintains a military presence in Lebanon
The ceasefire agreement on the Lebanese-Israeli border, which came into force on November 27, faces implementation challenges. The Israeli army has so far left only one town in southern Lebanon, which prevents the Lebanese Armed Forces from deploying its units in those areas. The UN peacekeeping mission in the country told Izvestia.
- The deployment of the Lebanese army has so far become possible only in the areas that the Israeli troops have left. So far, the only such place remains the town of al-Hiyam. This is the only area that the Israeli military left and where Lebanese units have arrived. In all other areas and positions, the Israeli army remains present," Andrea Tenenti, the official representative of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), told Izvestia.
The truce between Israel and Lebanon's Shiite Hezbollah movement envisages the Lebanese army's control over the southern parts of the country within 60 days, as well as the IDF's gradual withdrawal from Lebanese territory.
- The Lebanese army cannot enter there until they (Israeli troops - Izvestia) are withdrawn. The Lebanese army is ready, they are recruiting new soldiers. But their deployment depends on the placement of Israeli troops there," Andrea Tenenti said.
Despite the truce, tensions remain in the Lebanese-Israeli border zone. The IDF continues to violate the agreements on a regular basis, intruding into Lebanese airspace, attacking facilities in the south of the country, conducting raids in border settlements. For example, in the southern city of Naqoura, according to the local municipality, damage to infrastructure has increased from 35% to 70% already since the truce went into effect.
The Shiite Hezbollah movement accuses Israel of repeated violations, which take various forms, including shooting at civilians, air strikes, and appearing in Lebanese airspace.
- The Lebanese army is being deployed in parallel with the withdrawal of the Israeli army, but the problem is that the withdrawal of the Israeli army is significantly delayed, the IDF continues to control the situation on the ground," a Lebanese source told Izvestia.
However, Israel Defense Forces spokeswoman Anna Ukolova told Izvestia that the IDF is acting in accordance with the ceasefire agreement, noting that there have been violations by Hezbollah, which were stopped by the Israeli military.
Delaying the withdrawal of IDF forces
An unlikely reason for Israel's slow implementation of the agreements is Hezbollah's reluctance to withdraw its forces beyond the Litani River. According to Al Akhbar, the Lebanese Armed Forces have already begun confiscating ammunition from Shiite fighters, a process that will be completed in stages.
- Israel's actions have become unacceptable as its fighter jets and UAVs continue to violate Lebanon's sovereignty and bomb some sites outside the agreement. Israeli settlers have entered the Lebanese town of Maroun al-Ras and set up tents there. "We have not heard any objections from the committee overseeing the agreement regarding all these violations," Fadi Boudia, editor-in-chief of Lebanon's Maraya news agency, explained to Izvestia.
The five-party committee created for this purpose, involving the US, France, Lebanon, Israel and UNIFIL, was supposed to oversee the implementation of the truce agreements, with Washington chairing it.
- This is further evidence that Israel is not committed to implementing any agreement, and that the US and France fully support Israel. "Imagine Hezbollah took any action in response to these violations, we would see the whole world take action," said Fadi Boudia.
The delay in the Israeli withdrawal could be due to a number of factors, from the need for additional coordination with the Lebanese army to security issues. The withdrawal process is always a political decision as well as a military one. It is likely that through maximum forceful pressure, Israel expects to receive more stringent guarantees from Lebanon.
Hezbollah's new leader, Naim Qassem.
An extended IDF presence in the south could exacerbate the tense situation between the sides. After all, Lebanon expects the withdrawal to take place without additional delays, otherwise confidence in the truce could be undermined.
Nevertheless, the weakened Hezbollah, which, according to various estimates, has lost up to half of its missile capabilities and lost its entire military leadership, will not return to forceful methods of fighting Israel. This is also due to the changing balance of power in Syria. Arms supply routes from Iran to Lebanon have been cut off. This was recognized by the new leader of Hezbollah, Naim Qassem. Now the Shiite movement, which has been practically blockaded, will find it difficult not only to confront Israel, but also to maintain its domestic influence in Lebanon, where the group was until recently the main player.
Jamal Wakim, a professor at Lebanese University, told Izvestia that the current ceasefire violations are related to Israel's attempts to capitalize on the situation in Syria in order to be able to impose its conditions on Lebanon.
The problem of unexploded shells in Lebanon
The long-awaited return of civilians to southern Lebanon is accompanied by another problem. The areas where clashes recently took place are strewn with unexploded ordnance, which turns the lands that are dear to people into deadly danger zones. The UN mission told Izvestia that peacekeeping troops are assisting the Lebanese army in demining these areas.
- We believe that a large number of unexploded shells remain on the ground. We are strengthening our engineering capabilities to help the Lebanese army clear all these areas. Right now, we are doing everything we can. The main work will start soon, we will start demining those roads. We believe that there will be a lot of unexploded shells there," Andrea Tenenti told Izvestia.
The fact is that during active hostilities, the Israeli side used cluster munitions, which often do not work immediately and remain dangerous long after the end of hostilities. The risks are therefore greatest when they are used in densely populated areas. As a result of Israel's use of prohibited types of weapons, according to Fadi Boudia, many people in Lebanon suffered from harmful substances (the IDF used phosphorus munitions in combat operations, as mentioned in the Human Rights Watch report) and unexploded shells.
White phosphorus is dangerous to human health regardless of the way it affects the body. Smoke from burning phosphorus, containing phosphoric acids and phosphine, leads to eye and respiratory tract damage. White phosphorus can cause deep and severe burns, penetrating even through the bones, the UN World Health Organization warns.
Given the large amount of work and difficult terrain, complete cleanup of the areas may take a long time. In Lebanon, meanwhile, materials are being distributed on how to recognize explosive hazards and what to do when they are found.
During the Second Lebanon War in 2006, Israel used munitions that explode on contact with humans. Millions of such projectiles were dropped on Lebanon. As a result, a large number of farmers and livestock were affected. At that time, the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL recorded thousands of cluster munition detonations.
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