Any prolonged Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon could breathe new life into Hezbollah, challenging the political momentum of Lebanon’s new president and prime minister.

The deadline for the Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon expired early on Sunday, but troops will remain in some areas as Israel says a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah has not been fully implemented.

The Israeli government says its military will not withdraw from Lebanon by Sunday’s deadline, in violation of a deadline set in a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah.

Israel and Hezbollah agreed to withdraw from southern Lebanon, but Israel says that Hezbollah hasn’t upheld its promise and that the Lebanese Army isn’t ready to fill the void.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has suggested that Israel might not withdraw all of its forces from Lebanon by a deadline set in its ceasefire with Hezbollah

The Israeli military is all but certain to miss a Sunday deadline to withdraw from southern Lebanon under a ceasefire deal that ended its war with Hezbollah two months ago.Under the terms of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire that took effect on November 27,

Israeli forces will remain in southern Lebanon beyond a 60-day deadline stipulated in a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah because its terms have not been fully implemented, the Israeli prime minister's office said on Friday.

Israel is slowly withdrawing from Lebanese villages it occupied, as part of a ceasefire deal. Lebanese residents waiting to return to their villages say the Israeli military has destroyed nearly everything.