Israeli officials voice conflicting remarks on Lebanon pullout as one threatens continued strikes

The Israeli army will stay in five points inside Lebanon, reportedly strategic hills near the border, after its withdrawal from southern towns in line with the February 18 deadline, an Israeli political official told the Israel Hayom daily.

An Israeli official meanwhile told The Times of Israel on condition of anonymity that Israel is planning on withdrawing from Lebanon on Tuesday.

Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer has previously said the Israeli army will stay in five strategic locations in Lebanon’s south.

The ongoing ceasefire with Hezbollah stipulates that the pullout must be completed by a delayed deadline of February 18. Hezbollah is also meant to vacate southern Lebanon, with the Lebanese Army maintaining the only military presence there.

“We intend to leave and fulfill the agreement,” said the official. “And of course, enforcement will continue,” he added, referring to potential strikes inside Lebanon.

“As you see, we just killed a senior Hamas official there in Lebanon -- in Sidon, not in southern Lebanon. So we will continue with determined enforcement and what happened before October 7 will not happen again,” the defiant official added.

“We will attack every threat we see, and we will make sure that Hezbollah does not evade and does not receive funding from Iran… It just will not happen,” he stressed.