US military suggests 30-day IDF stay in Lebanon
A Hezbollah-affiliated newspaper, Al-Akhbar, reported Saturday that a US military official overseeing the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire suggested the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) could extend their presence in southern Lebanon for an additional 30 days.
Major General Jasper Jeffers, in charge of Special Operations Command Central, reportedly told Lebanese military officials that the decision would depend on Israel’s ability to prevent Hezbollah from launching a preemptive strike. In addition, according to Kan public broadcaster, the IDF may postpone its withdrawal from southern Lebanon due to the Lebanese army's slow deployment and its failure to target Hezbollah positions.
The two sides have since traded accusations of violating the truce. The truce, in effect since November 27, would end at the end of January in an attempt to end more than a year of fighting, which resulted in thousands of casualties and widespread displacement.