Russian FM: Israel to stay in Palestine, Lebanon, Golan

Shafaq News/ Israel intends to maintain its presence in Palestinian and Lebanese territories, and in the Golan Heights in Syria, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday.
Lavrov warned of potential obstacles in the second phase of the ceasefire in Gaza stating that Russia “received indications that problems will arise, and they may have already started.”
He further revealed that messages from Israel’s leadership suggest dissatisfaction with Hamas’ fulfillment of its commitments in the first phase, and they are not ruling anything out.
Regarding the situation in the West Bank, Lavrov noted that Israel continues its military operations without hesitation, announcing that “there are multiple credible reports indicating that Israel’s plans extend beyond expelling Palestinians from Gaza to taking full control of the West Bank.”
The Russian minister further stated that “Naturally, with Donald Trump’s recognition of the Golan Heights as part of Israel during his first term, it can now be considered lost territory in the context of the Arab-Israeli settlement.”
Following the November 2024 ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, Israel agreed to withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon over a 60-day period.
However, as of late January 2025, the withdrawal has not been fully implemented. Israeli troops remain stationed in several villages, and numerous areas are designated as "red zones," restricting civilian return.
Israel and Lebanon have agreed to extend the deadline for Israeli troops beyond the agreed 60-day timeline following the expiration of the initial deadline until February 18, 2025.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu postponed sending a negotiating team to Qatar for the second stage of the ceasefire agreement and held a meeting with senior military officials to discuss plans for the Israeli army’s return to combat operations in Gaza.
Moreover, the West Bank has experienced a surge in violence, particularly following the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire. The Palestinian Colonization & Wall Resistance Commission (CWRC) revealed that in January, Israeli forces and settlers carried out 2,161 attacks across the occupied West Bank.
In December 2024, after the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria, Israeli forces took control of Syrian positions within the UNDOF buffer zone and occupied Sheikh Mountain, a key strategic point on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights.
The move has drawn strong criticism from both local communities and the international community.