Israel to maintain troops at 5 posts in Lebanon beyond withdrawal deadline: official

JERUSALEM, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- An Israeli government official said Monday that the country's military will maintain troops at five posts in southern Lebanon, despite the deadline for its full withdrawal expiring on Tuesday.

Speaking to Xinhua on condition of anonymity, the official said the five military posts are located at "strategic points" that oversee the villages in southern Lebanon and Israeli communities along the border. According to the official, the move has been coordinated with United States officials.

The official added that Israel "will continue to strictly enforce the ceasefire in Lebanon." Israel carried out several attacks on Monday, including an airstrike in Sidon that killed a Hamas military official.

Under a fragile truce that ended 14 months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, Israeli troops were scheduled to complete their withdrawal by late January. Israel and Lebanon agreed to extend the deadline to Feb. 18. However, Israel now insists on maintaining troops at five positions in southern Lebanon without setting a new timeline for their withdrawal.

Since the ceasefire took effect in November, Israel has continued attacks and airstrikes in southern and eastern Lebanon, claiming the attacks target military sites containing weapons and Hezbollah fighters who violate the truce agreement. Lebanon and France have accused Israel of numerous violations of the agreement.

Both the Lebanese government and Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Lebanese group, object to Israel keeping bases in Lebanon beyond tomorrow's deadline.

In a statement on Monday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun voiced "concerns" that the full withdrawal would not be achieved tomorrow. He said the "Lebanese response will come through a unified and inclusive national stance."

Aoun stated that he will pursue diplomatic efforts to prevent a possible resumption of fighting, "because Lebanon can no longer endure another war."

He also declared that the Lebanese army is ready to deploy in the villages and towns from which the Israelis are supposed to withdraw under the ceasefire agreement.