Lebanon’s ceasefire agreement has been extended after the first deadline has passed
The U.S. and Lebanon said a cease-fire with Israel that expires on Sunday has been extended until mid-February.
Israel has deployed its troops in Lebanon beyond the initial deadline, saying that the Lebanese government has not fully implemented the part of the agreement that calls for the removal of Hezbollah from the area.
On Sunday, the Lebanese Ministry of Health announced that Israeli soldiers killed 22 people and wounded 124 as they tried to return to their homes in the south of the country.
After meeting with the US, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said the truce would last until February 18.
The first ceasefire plan announced in late November ended a 14-month conflict between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
The agreement, brokered by the US and France, gave Hezbollah 60 days to end its military occupation of southern Lebanon and Israeli forces to withdraw within the same period.
The plan was announced by then-US President Joe Biden, who said it was “intended to end war permanently” between the two sides.
But on Friday, two days before the deadline, Israel said some troops would remain in the region because the ceasefire had “not yet been fully implemented by the Lebanese government”.
In a White House statement on Sunday, the deadline has now been pushed back to February 18, and negotiations to return Lebanese prisoners held after October 7, 2023 will begin.
Since the agreement, thousands of Lebanese have returned to towns and villages near the border, although the region remains insecure.
On Sunday, the Lebanese Ministry of Health said 22 people were killed by Israeli forces in the area.
The Israeli army said it fired warning shots in various areas and arrested several people it said were “imminent threats,” without revealing any casualties.
The long-standing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah – an Iranian-backed militant, political and social movement – escalated last September. This would result in a heavy Israeli air campaign against Lebanon, an invasion of the southern part of the country, and the assassination of Hezbollah’s top leaders.
The attack killed nearly 4,000 people in Lebanon – including many civilians – and displaced more than 1.2 million residents.
Israel’s aim was to allow the return of some 60,000 residents who had fled communities in the north of the country due to Hezbollah attacks, and to remove the group from the border area.
Hezbollah launched its campaign in cooperation with Palestinians in Gaza the day after Hamas attacked southern Israel.