UN warns withdrawal remains incomplete

President Joseph Aoun designated former ICJ president Nawaf Salam to form a government after parliamentary consultations. The choice signalled a shift in Lebanese political alignments after the war.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres visited UNIFIL forces in the south amid efforts to implement the ceasefire and deploy the Lebanese army.

Guterres said Israeli withdrawal, Lebanese Armed Forces deployment and control of weapons were essential to Resolution 1701. He also described destruction and reconstruction needs.

UN officials reported 15 people killed, including a Lebanese soldier, as civilians attempted to return to southern villages; the original withdrawal timetable was not met.

Israel and Lebanon agreed to extend the Israeli troop withdrawal deadline to 18 February, after the initial 60-day period expired.

France noted Israeli forces remained in five positions on Lebanese territory and proposed that UNIFIL could replace them.

A UNIFIL briefing reported Israeli withdrawal from villages but continued military presence at five positions north of the Blue Line.

UNIFIL described medical and humanitarian support by contingents from several countries while Israeli positions remained inside Lebanon.

At its 47th anniversary observance, UNIFIL leadership stressed reconstruction, explosive clearance and dialogue toward a permanent ceasefire.

Projectiles were fired from Lebanon into Israel and Israeli forces retaliated with strikes. Hezbollah denied involvement in the launches; attribution remained contested.