Most of the attention this week, and for the last month, have been justifiably centered on the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the shaky hostage release process, which, until now, has seen 16 Israelis and five Thai nationals released from the hell of Hamas captivity.
But there’s another ceasefire that must not be ignored – the one in the North between Israel and Lebanon meant to defang Hezbollah.
Under the deal agreed to and implemented on November 27, IDF troops had until January 26 to withdraw from southern Lebanon. Specifics included allowing the movement of Hezbollah fighters north of the Litani River, the withdrawal of IDF forces south of the Blue Line, and the deployment in southern Lebanon of the Lebanese Army to take over Hezbollah positions and dismantle the terror infrastructure entrenched there.
The truce includes a “side document” that enables Israel to attack any Hezbollah operatives who venture south of the Litani River, as well as attack any attempts by Hezbollah to rearm itself.
The implementation of the Israeli withdrawal on January 27 was delayed, and the status quo extended until February 18 after Israel said the Lebanese Army had not been fully deployed in southern Lebanon, meaning the IDF needed to remain in the area.
Is the Lebanese army ready for withdrawal?
The US was on board. "All parties share the goal of ensuring Hezbollah does not have the ability to threaten the Lebanese people or their neighbors. To achieve these goals, a short, temporary ceasefire extension is urgently needed," said Brian Hughes, White House National Security Council spokesperson, on January 24, three days before the Israeli withdrawal was slated to take place.
Since then, Israel has continued to respond to Hezbollah's violations of the ceasefire. On Sunday, IAF jets struck a Hezbollah tunnel that crossed from Lebanon into Syria and was used for smuggling weapons into the country.
The IDF also struck munitions and launch sites in Lebanon that the military said were still in operation, in violation of the ceasefire deal.
Most alarming is that, according to the IDF, the Lebanese Army is still not ready to be deployed in the areas that Israel is supposed to be withdrawing from next week.
That’s why Israel wants to remain in several points in Lebanon even after the planned withdrawal date of February 18, the Post’s Amichai Stein reported on Wednesday. KAN cited senior officials in the security cabinet on Thursday as saying that the US had granted Israeli troops permission to stay "in several locations" in Lebanon beyond February 18. It did not specify a new deadline.
However, the US appears to be rejecting any further withdrawal extension. US deputy Mideast envoy Morgan Ortagus, who visited Lebanon and Israel last weekend, told reporters that the Trump administration views February 18 as a “firm date” for the completion of Israel’s withdrawal.
Despite its resounding weakening by Israel during last year’s offensive, Hezbollah is far from still being a threat – to Israel, as well as to Syria, whose new leader, Ahmed Shara’a, is facing Hezbollah clashes and destabilization efforts.
Although the terror group is not officially part of the new Lebanese government formed last week, its ally Amal —headed by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri — was allowed to choose four of the new cabinet’s members, including Finance Minister Yassin Jaber, who has close ties to Hezbollah.
It’s imperative that as a fighting force, Hezbollah must be held to the terms of the ceasefire, and the Lebanese Army must deploy in the areas of southern Lebanon formerly held by the terrorists.
If those terms aren’t met, we agree with any government decision that delays the IDF withdrawal past the February 18 deadline, and we urge the US and all countries who want Lebanon to emerge from this dark period with hope for the future and want Israel to have a safe and secure northern border to support Jerusalem.
The residents of Israel’s north deserve to live in peace without the constant threat - and sight – of Hezbollah on their doorsteps and the continuous barrage of rockets that have been launched since October 7, 2023.
So be it if it takes longer than planned to achieve that goal. Otherwise, Hezbollah could quickly return to the south, and all of the achievements of the past year to neutralize them would have been for naught.