By Rania Abu Shamala
ISTANBUL (AA) - US Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said Monday that a ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah “didn't work.”
“The bottom line is, you have a cessation of hostilities agreement that's in effect, it didn't work, right? So, there's reasons why that cessation of hostilities agreement didn't work, which is part of what we're all trying to solve,” he told reporters in Beirut.
Cross-border warfare between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon escalated into a full-scale war in September 2024. Despite a November ceasefire, Israeli forces have conducted near-daily attacks in southern Lebanon, claiming to target Hezbollah’s activities.
Under the ceasefire deal, Israel was supposed to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by Jan. 26, but the deadline was extended to Feb. 18 after Tel Aviv refused to comply. Israel still maintains a military presence at five border outposts.