JERUSALEM, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- Israel will maintain forces in southern Lebanon beyond the Sunday deadline stipulated in the ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Friday.

The agreement, signed on Nov. 27, 2024, mandated a complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon within 60 days, concluding this Sunday.

However, Netanyahu's office stated that Israel will not meet this deadline, asserting that the Lebanese military has not yet established full control of the region and that Hezbollah forces have not fully withdrawn north of the Litani River.

"As the Lebanese state has not fully enforced the ceasefire agreement, the gradual withdrawal of Israeli troops will continue," the statement said, indicating a phased withdrawal rather than a complete pullout by the deadline.

The Israel Defense Forces' withdrawal is "contingent on the deployment of the Lebanese Army in southern Lebanon and its effective enforcement of the agreement, including Hezbollah's retreat beyond the Litani River," the statement added.

The decision has been coordinated with the United States, according to the statement.

A year of escalating cross-border fire between Israel and Hezbollah, following Hamas's Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel and Israel's subsequent retaliation in Gaza, culminated in an Israeli ground invasion of southern Lebanon in October 2024. Enditem

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