By admin 
Beirut, Lebanon:
A deadline passed on Tuesday for Israeli troops to vacate southern Lebanon under a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah, hours after Israel announced plans to maintain a presence in five key locations. Israeli forces had begun withdrawing from some border villages on Monday, according to a Lebanese security official, but appeared set to remain in strategic areas.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Israeli troops had started to pull out from border villages such as Mais al-Jabal and Blida, as the Lebanese military advanced. However, some areas remained under Israeli control.
The two-month war, coupled with a year of cross-border hostilities initiated by Hezbollah over the Gaza conflict, caused extensive destruction in Hezbollah strongholds in southern and eastern Lebanon, as well as parts of south Beirut. Reconstruction costs are estimated to exceed $10 billion, with more than 100,000 people displaced, according to UN reports.
Despite the widespread devastation, many displaced people have eagerly awaited the ceasefire, signed on November 27, to return to their homes, check on their properties, and, in some cases, search for loved ones among the rubble.
“I miss sitting in front of my house, near my roses, and having a morning cup of coffee,” said Fatima Shukeir, in her sixties, who hopes to return to her village of Mais al-Jabal after more than a year and a half of displacement. “I miss everything in Mais al-Jabal, I miss my neighbors. We were separated, and I don’t know where they went.”
Several towns and villages, including Mais al-Jabal’s municipality, have asked displaced residents to wait until the Lebanese military arrives to ensure their safe return.
Under the ceasefire, brokered by the U.S. and France, Lebanon’s military was to deploy alongside UN peacekeepers as Israeli forces withdrew over a 60-day period, which was extended until February 18. Hezbollah was also expected to pull back north of the Litani River, roughly 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the border, and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure.
However, hours before the deadline, the Israeli military confirmed it would remain in five “strategic points” along the border to “continue defending our residents and ensure there’s no immediate threat.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated the country’s position, saying Israel would take necessary measures to “enforce” the ceasefire, adding that “Hezbollah must be disarmed.”
Lebanese officials have opposed any further delays to the withdrawal, urging international sponsors of the deal to pressure Israel to complete its pullout.
In several southeastern villages, Israeli forces remain, but for many displaced people like Shukeir, there’s hope of returning home despite the devastation. “We’ll go to our town and be happy again, despite the fact that our homes have been destroyed and we’ve lost young people,” she said.
Ramzi Kaiss from Human Rights Watch remarked that Israel’s “deliberate demolition of civilian homes and infrastructure” was hindering many residents’ ability to return to their homes.