Editorial & Advertiser disclosure

Global Banking and Finance Review is an online platform offering news, analysis, and opinion on the latest trends, developments, and innovations in the banking and finance industry worldwide. The platform covers a diverse range of topics, including banking, insurance, investment, wealth management, fintech, and regulatory issues. The website publishes news, press releases, opinion and advertorials on various financial organizations, products and services which are commissioned from various Companies, Organizations, PR agencies, Bloggers etc. These commissioned articles are commercial in nature. This is not to be considered as financial advice and should be considered only for information purposes. It does not reflect the views or opinion of our website and is not to be considered an endorsement or a recommendation. We cannot guarantee the accuracy or applicability of any information provided with respect to your individual or personal circumstances. Please seek Professional advice from a qualified professional before making any financial decisions. We link to various third-party websites, affiliate sales networks, and to our advertising partners websites. When you view or click on certain links available on our articles, our partners may compensate us for displaying the content to you or make a purchase or fill a form. This will not incur any additional charges to you. To make things simpler for you to identity or distinguish advertised or sponsored articles or links, you may consider all articles or links hosted on our site as a commercial article placement. We will not be responsible for any loss you may suffer as a result of any omission or inaccuracy on the website.

Headlines

Posted By Global Banking and Finance Review

Posted on January 23, 2025

Israel voices concerns about implementation of ceasefire with Hezbollah ahead of withdrawal deadline

JERUSALEM/BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Israeli government said on Thursday a ceasefire deal with the Iran-backed group Hezbollah was not being implemented fast enough, days before Israel is meant to complete a withdrawal of its forces from southern Lebanon under the terms of the deal.

Israel and the Lebanese militant group agreed in November to an American- and French-mediated ceasefire, bringing an end to more than a year of fighting. Under the deal, Israeli forces were to withdraw from Lebanon and Hezbollah forces were to withdraw from southern Lebanon over a 60-day period ending next Monday morning. 

"There have been positive movements where the Lebanese army and UNIFIL have taken the place of Hezbollah forces, as stipulated in the agreement," Israeli government spokesmen David Mencer told reporters, referring to UN peacekeepers in Lebanon.

"We've also made clear that these movements have not been fast enough, and there is much more work to do," he said, affirming that Israel wanted the agreement to continue.

Mencer did not directly respond to questions about whether Israel had requested an extension of the deal or say whether Israeli forces would remain in Lebanon after the 60-day deadline.

Three diplomats said it looked like Israeli forces would still be in some parts of southern Lebanon after the 60-day mark.

A senior Lebanese political source said President Joseph Aoun had been in contact with U.S. and French officials to urge Israel to complete the withdrawal within the stipulated timeframe.

The Lebanese government has told U.S. mediators that Israel's failure to withdraw on time could complicate the Lebanese army's deployment, and this would be a blow to diplomatic efforts and the optimistic atmosphere in Lebanon since Aoun was elected president on Jan. 9.

Ali Fayyad, a Hezbollah lawmaker, said on Jan. 20 that if Israel failed to withdraw this would put all Lebanese people in a new phase of "confronting the Israeli occupation through all possible means and tools to force it from our land".

"This confrontation is the responsibility of all Lebanese: the government, the army, the people, parties and resistance", said Fayyad, in comments reported by Lebanon's National News Agency.

(Reporting by Alexander Cornwell in Jerusalem and Laila Bassam, Maya Gebeily, Timour Azhari and Tom Perry in Beirut; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

Recommended for you

  • Soccer-Brighton's Mitoma dumps Chelsea out of FA Cup

  • UK junior health minister sacked by PM Starmer, BBC News reports

  • Tennis-Bencic wins first WTA title as a mother with daughter watching on