The ceasefire was hailed as a crucial step toward ending the fighting when it was initiated in 2002, and for several years the violence plummeted.
But new fighting broke out two years ago, leading to a widescale government offensive that forced the rebels out of the cities and towns of the east in July. The military then turned its attention to the rebel's heartland in the north, and senior officials said they hope to crush the Tigers by the end of the year, an operation that might be easier with the monitors gone.
Japanese peace envoy Yasushi Akashi, who rushed to Sri Lanka for talks before the ceasefire expired, said on Tuesday his country was concerned that the end of the truce "may prompt the pursuit of military solution of the conflict, with dire humanitarian consequences."
RSS