An initial ceasefire plan announced in late November ended a 14-month conflict between Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.
Broke by the US and France, the deal gave Hezbollah 60 days to end its armed presence in southern Lebanon and required Israeli forces to withdraw within the same period.
In announcing the plan, then-US President Joe Biden said it was “designed to bring about a permanent end to hostilities” between the two sides.
But on Friday, with two days to go before the deadline, Israel said some troops would remain in the region because the ceasefire agreement “cannot yet be fully implemented by the Lebanese state”.
The deadline has now been moved to February 18, and those caught after October 7, 2023, the White House said in a statement on Sunday. Negotiations will begin for the return of Lebanese prisoners.
Thousands of Lebanese have returned to towns and villages near the border since the deal was agreed, despite warnings that the region remains insecure.
On Sunday, Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli troops had killed 22 people in the area.
The Israeli army said it had fired “warning shots in several areas”, without saying whether people had been hit, and arrested several people it claimed posed an “imminent threat”. has created
The long-standing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah – an Iranian-backed militant, political and social movement – escalated last September. This led to an intense Israeli air campaign in Lebanon, a ground offensive in the south of the country, and the assassination of senior Hezbollah leaders.
The offensive killed around 4,000 people in Lebanon – including many civilians – and displaced more than 1.2 million residents.
Israel’s stated goal was to allow the return of some 60,000 residents who fled communities in the north of the country due to Hezbollah attacks, and to remove the group from areas along the border.
Hezbollah launched its campaign on October 7, 2023, a day after Hamas attacks on southern Israel, saying it was working to show solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
