US announces first Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon under ceasefire deal
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Israeli soldiers gather near a military vehicle after returning from Lebanon, near Kiryat Shmona and Israel's border with Lebanon in northern Israel, on Dec 11.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Washington - Israeli forces conducted their first withdrawal from a town in south Lebanon and were replaced by the Lebanese military under a ceasefire deal, the US Central Command (Centcom) said on Dec 11.
The command’s leader Erik Kurilla was present at the implementation and monitoring headquarters during the operation, as part of a ceasefire agreement, Centcom said in a statement.
“This is an important first step in the implementation of a lasting cessation of hostilities and lays the foundation for continued progress,” the statement quoted General Kurilla as saying.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said the stationing of troops in the Khiam and Marjayoun areas represents a fundamental step towards strengthening the army’s deployment in the south, in implementation of the ceasefire decision.
“We salute the army’s efforts” towards establishing “stability in the south”, Mr Mikati said in a post on X.
The Israeli military, meanwhile, said its 7th Brigade had concluded its mission in Khiam, in southern Lebanon.
“In accordance with the ceasefire understandings and with the coordination of the United States, soldiers of the Lebanese Armed Forces are being deployed in the area together” with Unifil, the UN peacekeeping mission in the area, the Israeli statement said.
The Pentagon later said Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin had spoken to his Israeli counterpart Israel Katz and told him that the US was working with its partners to support the ceasefire.
Mr Austin “emphasised that the ceasefire... has the potential to create the conditions to restore lasting calm and enable residents on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border to return safely to their homes”, the US readout said.
Israel stepped up its military campaign in south Lebanon in late September after nearly a year of cross-border exchanges begun by Hezbollah in support of its ally Hamas, following the Palestinian group’s Oct 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel.
A ceasefire came into effect on Nov 27, 2024, and is generally holding, though both sides have accused the other of repeated violations.
As part of the agreement, the Lebanese army and United Nations peacekeepers will deploy in southern Lebanon as the Israeli army withdraws over a period of 60 days.
Hezbollah is also meant to withdraw its forces north of the Litani River, about 30km from the border, and dismantle its military infrastructure in southern Lebanon. AFP
