Lebanon wants Israel to halt violations, agrees to extend ceasefire

By Naim Berjawi and Mohammad Sio

BEIRUT (AA) - Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said Monday that Lebanon agreed to extend the ceasefire with Israel until Feb. 18, while emphasizing the need for international pressure on Israel to end its violations and complete its withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

The statement, released by the Lebanese Prime Minister's Office, followed Mikati’s meeting with US Gen. Jasper Jeffers, head of the ceasefire monitoring committee, and US Ambassador to Lebanon Lisa Johnson.

“Lebanon has fulfilled its obligations under the ceasefire agreement, but Israel continues to stall implementation and persistently violates UN Resolution 1701,” Mikati asserted.

After consultations with the president and parliament speaker, Mikati said the government agreed to extend the ceasefire “to avoid giving Israel any pretext to delay its withdrawal from Lebanese territory.” However, he stressed the importance of “pressuring Israel to cease its repeated violations and ensure a full withdrawal from occupied territories in the south.”

The White House, however, said that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to an extension of the deadline for the Israeli withdrawal until Feb. 18.

Tension escalated as the Israeli army remained in the Lebanese territory after a 60-day deadline for its withdrawal from southern Lebanon passed on Sunday under a ceasefire agreement.

Israel had requested an additional month last week to “complete military operations.” However, the extension approved by mediators, including the US, grants only 24 more days.

Since Sunday morning, displaced Lebanese civilians have been returning to their villages, which they had fled during Israeli attacks. Israeli forces, resisting withdrawal, opened fire on returning residents, resulting in dozens of deaths and injuries.

On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office claimed that the agreement’s withdrawal timeline was “ambiguous” and could extend beyond 60 days. It also alleged that Lebanon had not fully implemented the ceasefire terms, justifying Israel’s “gradual withdrawal in coordination with the US” without setting a definitive deadline.

A fragile cease-fire has been in place since Nov. 27, ending a period of mutual shelling between Israel and the Hezbollah group that began on Oct. 8, 2023, and escalated into a full-scale conflict on Sept. 23 last year.

Under the ceasefire terms, Israel was required to withdraw its forces south of the Blue Line – a de facto border – in phases, while the Lebanese army was to deploy in southern Lebanon within 60 days.

Data from the Lebanese Health Ministry indicates that since Israel’s onslaught against Lebanon began on Oct. 8, 2023, at least 4,080 people have been killed, including women, children and health workers, while 16,753 have been injured.