Southern villager casualties deepen Lebanon Israel crisis as US backs Feb. 18 withdrawal deadline

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Report by Bassam Abou Zeid, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

The Israeli army was scheduled to withdraw from the areas it occupies in southern Lebanon on Sunday as the first phase of the ceasefire agreement concluded.

However, President Joseph Aoun received confirmed information indicating that Tel Aviv planned to remain in Lebanon for at least another month, with ongoing coordination with the United States to facilitate this.

On Saturday afternoon, President Aoun intensified his efforts, reaching out to the White House, the Trump administration, and French President Emmanuel Macron, urging them to apply pressure for an immediate withdrawal.

However, U.S. officials informed the Lebanese side that the withdrawal would not occur, citing the Israeli army’s need for an additional month to dismantle Hezbollah’s military infrastructure in the area.

President Aoun rejected this explanation. Meanwhile, hundreds of citizens returned to their villages on Sunday, only to encounter Israeli gunfire, resulting in casualties and injuries.

This prompted Aoun to escalate his communications with the United States. By the end of Sunday, an agreement was reached allowing the Israeli army to remain in Lebanon until February 18, 2025.

During this period, the issue of Hezbollah captives held by Israel—whose numbers increased from seven at the start of the war to 16 following the capture of nine citizens on Sunday—will be addressed. The International Committee of the Red Cross is working to facilitate communication with the detainees.

Sources also revealed that the February 18 deadline was a compromise. Lebanon initially demanded a two-week extension, while Israel insisted on a month.

The solution was coordinated between President Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

Upon Mikati’s arrival in Beirut around 6 p.m. Sunday, he immediately coordinated with President Aoun to finalize the agreement in its Lebanese terms and send it to the United States.

Discussions over the agreement’s wording continued between the Lebanese and Israeli sides until midnight when a statement from the prime minister’s office confirmed that the extension was tied to a report by the ceasefire monitoring committee and the implementation of Resolution 1701.

The statement also affirmed the ceasefire’s extension until February 18, 2025, and that the United States would initiate negotiations for the release of Lebanese captives in Israeli prisons.

Sources monitoring the developments stressed that Lebanon would not accept any further extensions beyond February 18. They also emphasized that the Lebanese army is ready to take control of the occupied areas but noted there are no clear guarantees that Israel will comply.

The onus remains on the agreement’s sponsoring countries, particularly the United States, to ensure that Israel adheres to its commitments.