Lebanon Truce Strained as Deadline Looms

Hezbollah and Israel accuse each other of violations ahead of a Jan. 26 pullout date

- Anat Peled

An Israel-Lebanon ceasefire that calmed months of bloodshed is cross-border coming under strain, as the two sides accuse each other of violations and the U.S. races to make sure the deal holds.

Israel still has troops on the ground in Lebanon and has continued to regularly strike Hezbollah infrastructure and weapons depots. In a complaint to the United Nations Security Council, Lebanon accused Israel of some 800 land and air attacks since the truce took effect on Nov. 27.

Israel repeatedly has accused Hezbollah, a U.S.-designated terrorist group that controls much of southern Lebanon, of maintaining fighters and weapons including rockets in the south that threaten its security, also in violation of the truce.