Israeli Troops Attack, US Confirms Ceasefire In Lebanon Continues Until February 18

Conditions in South Lebano/UnICEF/Fouad Choufany

JAKARTA - The United States said the agreement for the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel would remain in effect until February 18.

This affirmation was conveyed by the White House after Israel confirmed it would maintain troops in the southern region beyond the deadline set out in the US agreement.

"The agreement between Lebanon and Israel, which is monitored by the United States, will continue until February 18, 2025," the White House said in a statement.

The White House also said the governments of Lebanon, Israel and the US would begin negotiations for the repatriation of Lebanese prisoners who were arrested after October 7, 2023.

Israeli forces killed 22 people in an attack in southern Lebanon on Sunday, when the deadline for their withdrawal had passed.

The US-backed Lebanese military, which reported one of its troops was among those killed by Israeli forces on Sunday, accused Israel of delaying its troop withdrawal.

The Hezbollah-Israeli conflict coincided with the Gaza war, and reached its peak with a massive Israeli attack that forced more than one million people in Lebanon to flee and make the Iran-backed group very weak.

Israel has not said how long its troops will last in the southern region.

Israel says its attack on Hezbollah aims to secure the return of tens of thousands of Israelis forced to flee their homes on the border due to Hezbollah rocket fire.