As the deadline nears, Israel looks to do more on the Lebanese ceasefire.

JERUSALEM/BEIRUT (Reuters) – Israel said on Thursday that ceasefire terms with Hezbollah were not being implemented quickly enough and that more work would be done, as the Iran-backed group urged Israeli forces to withdraw from southern Lebanon by Monday. It is set in the agreement.

The deal calls for Israeli troops to withdraw from southern Lebanon, Hezbollah fighters and weapons to be removed from the area, and Lebanese troops to be deployed there – all within 60 days, ending at 4 am (0200 GMT) on Monday.

The deal, brokered by the United States and France, ended more than a year of fighting in the Gaza Strip. A massive Israeli offensive has reached its peak in Lebanon, displacing more than 1.2 million people and severely weakening Hezbollah.

Israeli government spokesman David Menser told reporters, referring to UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, “there have been positive moves by the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL to take positions of Hezbollah forces.”

“We have made it clear that these activities have not moved fast enough and that there is much work to be done,” he said, confirming that Israel wants the agreement to continue.

Menser did not directly respond to questions about whether Israel had requested an extension of the accord or whether Israeli forces would remain in Lebanon after Monday’s deadline.

Hizbullah said in a statement that Israel has postponed its withdrawal for more than 60 days, and that any violation of the agreement is unacceptable.

The statement said that “everyone, especially Lebanese political forces, needs to put pressure on governments that support the agreement to ensure a full (Israeli) withdrawal and the deployment of the Lebanese army to the last inch of Lebanese territory.” The people will quickly return to their villages.”

A delay of more than 60 days is a clear violation of the Lebanese government’s agreement to reclaim Lebanese land “from the jaws of occupation” by “all means guaranteed by international charters,” he said.

Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah is aimed at forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes after Hezbollah rocket fire in northern Israel.

During the conflict, it inflicted heavy blows on Hezbollah, killing its leader Hassan Nasrallah and thousands of the group’s fighters and destroying many weapons.

The group was weakened by the ouster of Syrian ally Bashar al-Assad in December, cutting off land supplies from Iran.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barot said at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday that Israel is withdrawing its forces from Lebanon by ending its military operations and that the Lebanese Army has gone to Hezbollah’s ammunition depots and destroyed them. They.

He also pointed out that there is a lot to be done to strengthen the ceasefire agreement. “Are we done? No. We need more time to produce results,” he said.

Three diplomats said on Thursday that Israeli forces appeared to be in some areas of southern Lebanon after the 60-day holiday.

A senior Lebanese political source said President Joseph Aoun had met with US and French officials to demand that Israel complete its withdrawal within a given deadline.

The Lebanese government has told US mediators that Israel’s failure to withdraw on time could complicate the deployment of the Lebanese army, undermining diplomatic efforts and optimism in Lebanon after Aoun was elected president on January 9.