Skip to content

Israeli Withdrawal from Lebanon Extended Until Feb. 18

The White House announced last night that “the arrangement between Lebanon and Israel, monitored by the United States,” meaning the ceasefire that began on Nov. 27, has been extended until Feb. 18. “The Government of Lebanon, the Government of Israel, and the Government of the United States will also begin negotiations for the return of Lebanese prisoners captured after October 7, 2023.”

Al Mayadeen reported that the office of the caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati in Lebanon also confirmed the extension, which came after Israel refused to complete its military withdrawal from southern Lebanon on Jan. 26, as called for in the ceasefire agreement. Mikati’s office said that the prime minister discussed the latest developments in the South and the results of talks of an American official with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and President Joseph Aoun.

Before the White House announcement, the Lebanon ceasefire was in the process of blowing up. Israeli forces opened fire on Lebanese civilians returning to their homes in southern Lebanon on Jan. 26, killing at least 22 people and injuring 124 others, reported Middle East Eye.

Avichay Adraee, the Israeli army’s Arabic-language spokesperson, claimed that soldiers on Sunday “opened fire to deter and remove threats in several areas where suspects were spotted approaching” but did not provide evidence of any threats.

Hezbollah said it expects the Lebanese state to take the responsibility for ensuring Israel’s withdrawal. “We are in our land, and the enemy is the one who turned against the agreement and violated the agreement. And thus, the people are the ones who are liberating their land with their own hands and blood,” said Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah, speaking to the group’s Al-Manar TV. “We want the state to play its role,” he added.