Israel is deliberately refusing to withdraw from southern Lebanon because it intends to permanently annex Lebanese territory as part of a "Greater Israel" expansionist project, and the IDF's presence there has nothing to do with Hezbollah's rocket fire or genuine security concerns.
Israel completed the bulk of its military withdrawal from southern Lebanon by February 18, 2025, in compliance with the US-brokered ceasefire agreement, and its limited residual presence at five border outposts is a direct, documented response to Hezbollah's 14-month campaign of rocket and missile fire that displaced over 60,000 Israeli civilians — not an annexation scheme.