Beirut (Reuters) – The chief of the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah said on Sunday (16) that Israeli troops must completely withdraw from Lebanese territory until the end of 18 February, claiming that there was no “any pretext” for the country to maintain a one Military presence in any post in southern Lebanon.
Under a Washington -mediated truce in November, Israeli troops received 60 days to withdraw from southern Lebanon, where they waged a terrestrial offensive against Iran -supported Hezbollah since early October.
This deadline was later extended to February 18, but the Israeli military requested the maintenance of troops at five stations in southern Lebanon, sources told Reuters last week.
In a speech recorded on television, Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Naim Qasemem said, “Israel must withdraw completely on February 18, there is no pretext … This is the agreement.”
They said that any Israeli military presence on Lebanese soil after February 18 would be considered a force of occupation.
“Everyone knows how an occupation is treated,” they said, without explicitly threatening that their group would resume attacks against Israel.
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Israel’s public broadcaster said on Wednesday that the US had authorized a presence of “long-term” Israeli troops in southern Lebanon.
During the transmission of the speech of Qasm, at least three Israeli air strikes hit the Bekaa Valley in East Lebanon. The Israeli military said they had attacks after identifying Hezbollah activities in places containing rocket launchers and other weapons.
They also asked the Lebanese government to reconsider the ban on Iranian flights that land in Beirut.
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Lebanese authorities banned flights from landing until February 18, after Israeli accusations that Tehran was using civilian aircraft to smuggle money for Beirut and arm Hezbollah.
The decision left dozens of Lebanese citizens arrested in Iran, where they were in a religious pilgrimage with plans to return through the Mahan Air of Iran. Lebanon sent two of his own planes to pick them up, but Iran prevented them from landing in Tehran.
Hezbollah organized a protest outside Beirut airport on Saturday, where their supporters were attacked with tear gas by Lebanese troops.
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When they described Lebanon’s ban on Iranian planes as “the implementation of an Israeli order.”
“Let the plane land and we’ll see what Israel will do,” he said.
