Lebanon was shaken by internal turmoil this week, right as the deadline set for Israel to withdraw from the country expired Tuesday with Israeli forces still over the border.

Protests erupt after Iranian flights halted over smuggling concerns

Protests organized by Hezbollah erupted across Lebanon on Thursday after the Lebanese government blocked Iranian flights reportedly smuggling in funds for the terrorist group.

Shortly before the shipments were blocked, IDF Spokesperson for Arab Media Avichay Adraee warned that Iran was exploiting civilian flights to Beirut to smuggle in funds aimed at helping Hezbollah rearm itself.

The spokesperson added that while Israel has contacted the ceasefire monitoring committee about the issue, “our assessment is that some of these money smuggling attempts have succeeded.”

“The IDF will not allow Hezbollah to arm itself and will use all means at its disposal to enforce the ceasefire understandings in order to ensure the security of the citizens of the State of Israel,” Adraee warned.

On Monday, Lebanon announced that it was suspending flights to and from Iran indefinitely. Lebanese authorities told AFP Saturday that the United States warned that the IDF might strike the Beirut airport if the smuggling continued. An alternate flight option was organized for Lebanese citizens stranded in Iran through Baghdad.

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem expressed outrage Sunday that the Lebanese government was “implementing an Israeli directive,” claiming that Israel would “strike the Beirut airport runway if the Iranian plane lands.”

Hezbollah supporters blocked roads in the capital city and other parts of Lebanon in protest against the flight suspensions. Lebanese security forces dispersed the protests with tear gas and reportedly by firing in the air, sparking further outrage from Hezbollah.

During the protests, a UNIFIL convoy was attacked by demonstrators, wounding two U.N. peacekeepers. One of the vehicles in the convoy was torched in the incident, leading to Hezbollah issuing a statement condemning the attack.

The Lebanese Army arrested 25 people in Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, after the attack on the UNIFIL convoy.

The deputy head of Hezbollah’s political council, Mahmoud Qomati, told L’Orient Today at one of the protests that “The decision to ban the Iranian plane from landing in Lebanon is an attack on the state and its security forces.”

“We will not allow our homeland to fall into Israeli and American hands … nor accept this humiliation,” Qomati said.

Ceasefire deadline passes with Israel still in Lebanon

The final deadline for Israel to withdraw from Lebanese territory passed on Tuesday, although Israeli forces remained in five strategic locations along the Lebanese-Israeli border.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar confirmed on Tuesday that the IDF would remain at strategic points until “Lebanon fully implements its side of the deal.”

Originally, the IDF was meant to withdraw by Jan. 26, but that deadline was extended until Feb. 18 at the last minute because Hezbollah hadn’t fully withdrawn from southern Lebanon as required by the ceasefire deal.

The Lebanese Army, in collaboration with UNIFIL, is tasked with enforcing the terms of the ceasefire concerning Hezbollah.

For years, the Lebanese Army has failed to act against Hezbollah because of a lack of willingness and ability. Compared to the Iran-backed terrorist group, the Lebanese Army is relatively weak and relies heavily on foreign support. The Lebanese Army and the country’s political leadership, which Hezbollah is part of, are also concerned that acting against Hezbollah could spark a civil war.

In the weeks since the ceasefire in Lebanon came into effect, Israel has repeatedly struck Hezbollah targets it says have been violating the terms of the agreement.

Over the past week, several waves of airstrikes hit southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon, targeting weapons, rocket launchers, and a tunnel used by Hezbollah to smuggle weapons from Syria into Lebanon.

In a joint statement on Tuesday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam stressed their demand for a “complete Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Lebanese territories.”

The three insisted that Lebanon was upholding its commitments in the ceasefire despite the continued Hezbollah presence in southern Lebanon. They added that the Lebanese Army is ready to “assume all its duties on the recognized international borders, in a manner that preserves national sovereignty, protects the people of southern Lebanon, and ensures their security and stability.” They additionally called on the U.N. to force Israel to withdraw immediately.

On Monday, Aoun said that Lebanon’s response to an Israeli failure to withdraw will be through diplomatic means, stressing that “The option of war is not useful…because Lebanon can no longer tolerate a new war.”

Additionally, on Monday, Lebanese Information Minister Paul Morcos shared a draft of the new Lebanese government’s roadmap, which must be submitted to parliament so the government can operate.

The draft states for the first time that the state should be the only body possessing weapons in Lebanon and vows to implement U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 “fully, impartially and without selectiveness.” The roadmap also stresses Lebanon’s neutrality in international conflicts.