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Ceasefire Extended in Israel-Lebanon Conflict Amid Ongoing Tensions
The United States and Lebanon have confirmed that the ceasefire agreement with Israel, originally scheduled to end on Sunday, has now been extended until mid-February. This development comes amid ongoing tensions and accusations regarding the enforcement of the ceasefire terms.
Israel has maintained its military presence in Lebanon beyond the initial expiration date, claiming that the Lebanese government has not fulfilled its obligations under the agreement, particularly the requirement for Hezbollah to withdraw from the area. On Sunday, Lebanon’s health ministry reported that Israeli soldiers killed 22 people and injured 124 more as they attempted to return to their homes in southern Lebanon.
Following discussions with U.S. officials, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati confirmed that the truce would remain effective until February 18. The ceasefire was first established in late November, bringing an end to a protracted conflict that had lasted for 14 months between Israel and Hezbollah.
This agreement, mediated by the U.S. and France, mandated Hezbollah to cease its armed operations in southern Lebanon within 60 days while also requiring Israeli forces to withdraw during the same timeframe. When announcing the ceasefire, then-President Biden characterized it as a framework for a “permanent cessation of hostilities” between the two factions.
However, Israel expressed reservations just days before the deadline, indicating that its forces would continue to operate in the region due to what it termed incomplete enforcement of the ceasefire by the Lebanese authorities. A statement from the White House on Sunday emphasized that the new deadline of February 18 would also initiate discussions regarding the release of Lebanese prisoners taken since the outbreak of conflict on October 7, 2023.
Despite some residents cautiously returning to their homes along the border, warnings persist about potential dangers in the area. On the same day of the health ministry’s report, the Israeli military stated it had issued “warning shots in multiple areas,” declining to confirm if there were any injuries while also detaining several individuals it described as posing an “imminent threat.”
The longstanding hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah intensified significantly following events in September, leading to a wide-ranging Israeli military campaign that included aerial bombardments and ground assaults in southern Lebanon. This offensive resulted in an estimated 4,000 casualties among Lebanese, many of whom were civilians, and displaced over 1.2 million individuals.
Israel’s operations aimed to facilitate the return of approximately 60,000 residents who had evacuated from northern areas due to Hezbollah’s military actions and aimed to diminish Hezbollah’s influence in border regions. In a show of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, Hezbollah escalated its actions the day after Hamas’s attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
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