Unifil urges timely Israeli withdrawl from south Lebanon under truce deal

The United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, called on Thursday for a timely Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, citing what it described as Israeli violations of a 27 November ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah.

Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a 60-day ceasefire, which includes a phased Israeli military withdrawal after more than a year of war, in line with a 2006 UN Security Council resolution that ended their last major conflict.

"Unifil continues to urge the timely withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces and the deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces (in place of Hezbollah) in southern Lebanon, alongside the full implementation of Resolution 1701 as a comprehensive path toward peace," the statement said.

Under the terms of its truce with Hezbollah, Israeli forces have up to 60 days to withdraw from southern Lebanon, but neither side is permitted to launch offensive operations during this period.