An official Lebanese military source refuted all recent reports about the Israeli occupation army beginning to withdraw from areas it had penetrated in the south of the country. The source clarified in media statements that Israeli forces remain stationed in their positions and no movements indicating the evacuation of occupied points have been recorded so far.
These Lebanese clarifications come in response to what international press reports quoted from a US State Department official, who claimed that Israel had already begun withdrawing from parts of what is known as the buffer zone. The US administration had called on the Lebanese army to move immediately into the areas that the occupation was supposed to evacuate according to initial understandings.
The Lebanese military source stressed that expectations had indicated an imminent withdrawal from the border areas of Wazzani and Ain Arab, but the occupation forces backed down from this step at the last minute. He pointed out that the field still witnesses an intensive Israeli military presence, contrary to what the American side promotes in diplomatic circles.
On the other hand, media sources quoted a senior Israeli official as categorically denying any change in the current military deployment in southern Lebanon. The official affirmed that Israeli security policy is completely clear, as there is no intention to withdraw from the buffer zone at present, pending specific security guarantees.
In the same context, Hebrew sources reported that the Israeli army command has not yet received any official instructions from the political level to begin withdrawal procedures from Lebanese positions. This contradiction reflects a state of uncertainty between American diplomatic statements and the field reality imposed by the occupation forces on the ground.
These field developments coincide with an intensive round of talks taking place in the US capital, Washington, where mediators are seeking to establish a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. These meetings aim to set a clear timetable for Israeli withdrawals and the handover of security tasks to the Lebanese army and UNIFIL forces.
The issue of the scope of the Israeli withdrawal and the areas from which the operation will begin constitutes the most prominent knot in the ongoing negotiations, as sharp differences emerge over technical details. International parties are pushing for the implementation of the UN resolution and ensuring the stability of the southern borders to prevent the renewal of comprehensive military confrontations.
The Israeli army has not withdrawn from any point in the areas it occupies in southern Lebanon, and it was supposed to retreat from Wazzani and Ain Arab but did not.
شارك برأيك
Lebanese military source denies withdrawal of occupation forces from southern areas