Naim Qassem said any Israeli military presence on Lebanese soil after February 18 would be considered an occupying force.

Hezbollah's leader Naim Qassem said that the Lebanese government had a responsibility to "make Israel withdraw" in keeping with its commitment under the ceasefire deal to pull its troops out of the

Under a truce arranged by Washington in November, Israeli forces were given 60 days to withdraw from southern Lebanon, where they had been fighting Iranian-backed Hezbollah rebels since early October.

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said Sunday that Lebanon's government was responsible for making Israel honour a withdrawal deadline under a fragile ceasefire agreement, while also blaming Israel for a stoppage on flights from Iran.

The developments came as United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking from Jerusalem, called on Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah following its war with Washington’s closest regional ally Israel.

Lebanese media on Sunday reported that Israeli gunfire killed a woman as Washington pressed Beirut to disarm Hezbollah, two days before a deadline in the ceasefire between Israel and the

Hezbollah said on Sunday that Israeli troops must withdraw from Lebanese territory in full by a February 18 deadline, saying it had "no pretext" to maintain a military presence in any post in southern Lebanon.