Hezbollah chief refutes extension of Israel’s withdrawal deadline from south Lebanon

Qassem made the statement during a televised address, saying that his group will not accept any further delay of the withdrawal process.

“The agreement’s deadline expired on Sunday, and there is no reason for any extension,” Qassem stated, referring to the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel.

“While Hezbollah adhered to the terms of the agreement, Israel violated it 1,350 times,” he added.

Qassem highlighted that despite these violations, Hezbollah initially refrained from retaliating.

“At one point, we considered responding to Israel’s aggressions, but the Lebanese authorities urged patience,” he explained.

“While the Israeli violations were painful, we decided to be patient, leaving the responsibility to the state, as it should be the primary authority in confronting Israel.”

The statements follow the White House’s Sunday announcement of a ceasefire extension between Lebanon and Israel until Feb. 18. The extension grants Israel additional time to withdraw from southern Lebanon, exceeding the original Jan. 26 deadline set under the 60-day withdrawal timeline agreed upon in November 2024.

Despite this timeline, Israel delayed its pullout, citing ambiguities in the agreement.

Since Sunday morning, displaced Lebanese civilians have been returning to their villages, which they had fled during Israeli attacks. Israeli forces, resisting withdrawal, opened fire on returning residents, resulting in dozens of deaths and injuries.

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati stated Monday that Lebanon agreed to extend the ceasefire with Israel, while emphasizing the need for international pressure on Israel to end its violations and complete its withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

The statement, released by the Lebanese Prime Minister’s Office, followed Mikati’s meeting with US Gen. Jasper Jeffers, head of the ceasefire monitoring committee, and US Ambassador to Lebanon Lisa Johnson.

“Lebanon has fulfilled its obligations under the ceasefire agreement, but Israel continues to stall implementation and persistently violates UN Resolution 1701,” Mikati asserted.

A fragile cease-fire has been in place since Nov. 27, ending a period of mutual shelling between Israel and the Hezbollah group that began on Oct. 8, 2023, and escalated into a full-scale conflict on Sept. 23 last year.

Under the ceasefire terms, Israel was required to withdraw its forces south of the Blue Line – a de facto border – in phases, while the Lebanese army was to deploy in southern Lebanon within 60 days.

Data from the Lebanese Health Ministry indicates that since Israel’s onslaught against Lebanon began on Oct. 8, 2023, at least 4,080 people have been killed, including women, children and health workers, while 16,753 have been injured.