According to the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon, Israeli troops were supposed to withdraw from southern Lebanon by January 26. However, Israel has not completed the withdrawal yet. On Sunday, the White House announced that the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon has been extended until February 18, giving Israel an additional three and a half weeks to withdraw from Lebanon.
The White House stated: “Under the supervision of the United States, the agreement between Lebanon and Israel will remain effective until February 18, 2025.”
“The governments of Lebanon, Israel, and the United States are also negotiating the return of Lebanese prisoners of war captured after October 7, 2023,” the statement said.
On November 27 last year, former U.S. President Biden, in cooperation with France, brokered a ceasefire agreement between Hezbollah in Lebanon and Israel, stipulating that Israel must withdraw from southern Lebanon within 60 days and be replaced by the Lebanese army.
The Israeli military stated that they have been confiscating Hezbollah weapons in southern Lebanon and destroying its infrastructure, thus unable to complete the withdrawal within the deadline.
With the withdrawal deadline passed, thousands of Lebanese people have disregarded Israeli military orders and attempted to return to their homes.
Lebanese authorities have accused Israel of delaying the withdrawal and claimed that the Israeli army killed 22 people in southern Lebanon on Sunday, including one Lebanese soldier.
Israel stated that its attacks on Hezbollah aim to ensure the safe return of tens of thousands of Israelis to their homes, as Hezbollah rockets forced them to leave their border homes.
Following the outbreak of the Gaza War on October 7, 2023, Hezbollah immediately fired on the Israeli border in support of its ally Hamas. Both Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas are armed organizations supported by Iran.
Last week, Jon Finer, the White House Deputy National Security Adviser, stated that the Trump administration provided “significant support” for the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
“We received important support from the Trump team. We have been very transparent about it,” Jon Finer said in a media interview. “They dispatched new team members to the region.”
He added that President Trump made helpful remarks and emphasized the need to complete the agreement.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated last week that the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas would not have been possible without the strong push from President Trump and his special envoy Steve Witkoff.
In a post on social media platform X, she added that the U.S. government is “reasserting peace through strength.”