Lebanon: Continuing Israeli Presence Would Be an Occupation

Lebanon will consider any remaining Israeli presence on its lands an occupation and has the right to use any means to ensure an Israeli withdrawal, a spokesperson for the Lebanese presidency said Tuesday.

Tuesday marks the latest deadline for a withdrawal of Israeli troops under the U.S.-brokered ceasefire that halted last year's war with Hezbollah.

Under the November truce, Israeli troops were granted 60 days to withdraw from southern Lebanon where they had waged a ground offensive against fighters from Lebanese armed group Hezbollah since early October.

That deadline was extended to February 18, but Israeli and Lebanese officials as well as foreign diplomats had anticipated that Israel would retain some troops on parts of the Lebanese side of the border.

Israeli defense minister Israel Katz said earlier that Israel would keep troops in five posts in southern Lebanon past a February 18 deadline.

Troops would stay "to ensure the protection of the northern (Israeli) communities," he said.

Tens of thousands of people were displaced from northern Israel by Hezbollah rocket fire and more than a million people in Lebanon fled Israeli air strikes in a year-long conflict playing out in parallel with the Gaza war.

The truce ordered a withdrawal of Hezbollah fighters and arms as well as Israeli troops, and the deployment of Lebanese troops.

It stipulates that only "official military and security forces" in Lebanon can carry arms, and that the Lebanese government must prevent arms transfers to non-state armed groups.