On Tuesday, the Israeli army withdrew from villages it controlled in southern Lebanon, keeping its forces in five positions, AFP reported, citing a Lebanese security source.

The source added that the Lebanese Armed Forces had begun to deploy to positions from which the Israeli army had withdrawn “gradually” due to “the presence of explosives in some places.

This withdrawal coincides with the expiration of the deadline for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon under the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hizbullah.