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The head of the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah on Sunday issued an ultimatum to Israeli troops to withdraw fully from Lebanese territory.
While giving Israeli forces until 18 February to withdraw, Hezbollah stated that it had no reason to maintain a military presence at any post in southern Lebanon.
Under a truce brokered by Washington in November, Israeli troops were granted 60 days to withdraw from southern Lebanon, where they had been waging a ground offensive against fighters from the Iran-backed Hezbollah since early October.
That deadline was later extended to 18 February, but Israel’s military requested to retain troops at five posts in southern Lebanon.
“Israel must withdraw completely on 18 February. It has no pretext, no five points or other details. This is the agreement,” Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said.
According to Qassem, any Israeli military presence on Lebanese soil after 18 February would be considered an occupying force.
In other news, In a bid to explore potential pathways to ending the war in Ukraine, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to engage in talks with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia in the coming days, U.S. officials have confirmed. The discussions are expected to address key points of contention in the prolonged conflict.
As diplomatic talks on Ukraine take shape, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will be joined by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, according to officials speaking to CBS News. U.S. Special Envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, disclosed that while the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine are involved in the negotiations, European nations were not extended an invitation.
Kyiv’s exclusion from upcoming talks in Saudi Arabia, confirmed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, has sparked unease in Europe, where leaders fear the U.S. may be forging a path toward peace with Russia without their involvement. In response, Ukraine’s European allies have scheduled an emergency summit in Paris next week to coordinate their next steps.
