TEL AVIV, January 24. /TASS/. Israel has hit Hezbollah weapons depots and observation posts in southern Lebanon, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.
"Over the past few days, IDF soldiers in the Northern Command have conducted strikes to remove threats and to dismantle weapons storage facilities and active observation posts used by the Hezbollah terrorist organization in southern Lebanon," it said. "The IDF is continuing to operate in accordance with the ceasefire understandings between Israel and Lebanon."
"The IDF remains deployed in southern Lebanon, continues to monitor Hezbollah's attempts to return to southern Lebanon, and will operate against any threat posed to IDF troops and the State of Israel," it pledged.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier in the day that the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon will continue after the 60-day period outlined in the November 27, 2024, ceasefire agreement, because the Lebanese side has failed to meet its commitments fully. "The progress of IDF withdrawal depends on the Lebanese army’s deployment throughout southern regions, and its ability to enforce the agreement comprehensively and effectively. Meanwhile, Hezbollah forces must retreat beyond the Litani River," it said, adding that under the ceasefire agreement, Israel is to withdraw its troops from southern Lebanon by January 27 after Lebanese armed radicals move off the Israeli border and the Lebanese army take control of these areas.