PDB Afternoon Bulletin | January 24th, 2025: Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire Faces Major Test & Syria's Islamist Rulers Issue Warning To Jerusalem
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What are the latest tensions between Israel and Hezbollah?
It's Friday, 24 January. Welcome to the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. First, tensions are once again flaring with Hezbollah as Israeli leaders say they will not withdraw their troops from Lebanon by Sunday's ceasefire deadline, throwing the future of the peace deal into question. Then, turning to Israel's northeast, leaders in Jerusalem are signaling that they intend to maintain their troop presence in a demilitarized buffer zone separating the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from Syria, sparking concerns about a potential confrontation. But first, our afternoon spotlight. While Israel and Hamas have begun implementing the terms of their historic ceasefire in Gaza, it appears that Jerusalem's fragile truce with Hezbollah in Lebanon is at risk of collapse.
What is the status of the ceasefire agreement?
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said Friday that the Israeli military would not complete its full withdrawal from southern Lebanon by the 60-day deadline set under their ceasefire with leaders in Beirut, citing a failure by Hezbollah and the Lebanese military to adhere to the terms of the agreement. That's according to a report from the Times of Israel. Specifically, Israel says the Lebanese army has deployed too slowly to a buffer zone along their border with Israel, and that Hezbollah is still operating in areas covered by the truce. Officials with the Israeli military have said they are still finding large caches of Hezbollah weapons in southern Lebanon, and that in some locations, the Lebanese military has even been seen aiding the Iranian-backed terror group. Well, that's shocking.
Netanyahu's office released a statement Friday saying, "...the IDF withdrawal is conditional upon the Lebanese army deploying in southern Lebanon. Since the ceasefire agreement has not yet been fully enforced by Lebanon, the gradual withdrawal process will continue." As a reminder, Israel reached a limited truce with Hezbollah on November 27th to stop hostilities for at least 60 days. The deal requires the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon and for Hezbollah to retreat north beyond the Latani River in southern Lebanon. In theory, by this Sunday, January 26th, the only groups allowed to be present south of the Latani River are the Lebanese military and UN peacekeeping forces. But Israel and Hezbollah have repeatedly accused each other of violating the terms of the agreement and have engaged in a number of tit-for-tat strikes since the ceasefire was implemented.
Netanyahu argued on Friday that a continued Israeli troop presence and slower withdrawal does not constitute a violation of the ceasefire, noting that the deal's text was worded with the understanding that the withdrawal process could be extended. Following a request from the Israeli Security Cabinet, U.S.
How is the Israeli military preparing for potential conflict?
and French officials met Thursday to discuss an official 30-day extension of the ceasefire deal. But sources told the Times of Israel that President Trump is not keen on granting the request and would like to see Israel complete their withdrawal by Sunday. Just last week, officials with Trump's team reportedly warned Israel not to let their truce with Hezbollah fail, fearing that it could throw the entire region, of course, back into chaos. Hezbollah, meanwhile, has said if Israeli troops remain by Sunday, it would be, quote, considered a brazen breach of the agreement, end quote.
What actions is Israel taking in response to Hezbollah's threats?
Now, given their warning, the Israeli military is now reportedly preparing for the possibility of renewed hostilities with Hezbollah. Just hours after Netanyahu's statement, the Israeli military revealed they had carried out targeted strikes in southern Lebanon to, quote, remove threats. They also conducted limited ground operations earlier this week to demolish Hezbollah weapons depots. The Israeli military issued a statement saying, quote, the IDF remains deployed in southern Lebanon, continues to monitor Hezbollah's attempts to return to southern Lebanon, and will operate against any threat posed to IDF troops and the state of Israel, end quote.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What are the latest tensions between Israel and Hezbollah?
0:11–1:06
2
What is the status of the ceasefire agreement?
1:06–3:08
3
How is the Israeli military preparing for potential conflict?
3:08–3:44
4
What actions is Israel taking in response to Hezbollah's threats?
3:44–7:46
5
What concerns are there regarding Syria's Islamist rulers?
7:46–10:30
Speakers
1 identifiedMore from The President's Daily Brief
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