Delaying Withdrawal, Testing Hezbollah’s Patience: Israel’s Occupation Expands with US Approval

By Elijah J. Magnier – 

On 18 February, Israel will not withdraw completely from all the Lebanese territories it occupied during the last war. Instead, it intends to retain control of at least five strategic military positions on high ground, reinforcing its ongoing violation of Lebanese sovereignty and undermining the terms of the disengagement.

In anticipation of the return of Morgan Ortagus, US Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East, and Major General Jasper Jeffers, head of the ceasefire monitoring committee overseeing the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, Israeli officials have reportedly informed their US counterparts that their occupation of southern Lebanon may extend beyond the previously set deadline of 28 February.

Some Israeli sources now suggest that the military presence could last until April or even longer, citing the strategic need to maintain control of at least five key security positions indefinitely. This extended occupation signals a deliberate effort to challenge the terms of the ceasefire, potentially escalating tensions in the region and testing Lebanon’s ability to assert its sovereignty.

Israeli military officials have also told Washington that even if a formal withdrawal does take place, they will seek to retain extensive operational freedom, allowing Israeli forces to conduct air and ground operations unimpeded in the coming months.