Lebanese army deploys to Naqoura as part of Israel ceasefire deal

The Lebanese army began deploying to the southern coastal city of Naqoura following the Israeli military’s withdrawal as part of the ceasefire agreement made in November, the US and Lebanon said on Monday.

A video released by the Lebanese army showed military vehicles backed by the UN Interim Force driving through Naqoura in the Tyre district. Following their arrival, specialised units will conduct surveys to remove unexploded ordnance, according to the army.

In a statement, the army urged residents to avoid the area and follow instructions.

The deployment of troops in Naqoura follows similar actions in the southern towns of Khiam and Shamaa, where Israeli forces have withdrawn since the ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel went into effect.

US envoy Amos Hochstein, who helped broker the ceasefire that ended the 14-month war, attended the meeting in Beirut on Monday and met with Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

Hochstein, also the Middle East advisor to US President Joe Biden, insisted the phased withdrawal of Israeli forces is going according to plan but did not confirm whether the pullout would be completed within the 60-day limit under the conditions of the deal.

“I have every confidence from what I saw today and what I get reports from the team on the ground that things are going as they should be, and I think the Lebanese army is doing its job very, very well,” Hochstein said.

“We have 20 days left to reach the 60 days. We are going to continue the same work that has led to the successful withdrawal and deployment that we saw today,” he added.

Israel and Hezbollah agreed to pull their forces out of southern Lebanon before the end of this month. The area will then be secured by the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers as part of the agreement.

In a separate development, local officials in Gaza said an Israeli strike in Bureij, a Palestinian refugee camp located in the central Gaza Strip, killed at least three people, including two women, on Monday night.

Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza has killed over 45,800 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed across the border in a massive surprise attack on 7 October 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting around 250.

Some 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead.