White House extends Lebanon-Israel agreement to February 18 amid delayed withdrawal and border tensions

The White House announced that the ''agreement'' between Lebanon and Israel had been extended until February 18, following Israel's failure to meet the deadline for withdrawing its forces from southern Lebanon.

In a brief statement, the White House clarified that "the agreement between Lebanon and Israel, overseen by the United States, will remain in effect until February 18, 2025."

The White House added, ''The Government of Lebanon, the Government of Israel, and the Government of the United States will also begin negotiations for the return of Lebanese prisoners captured after October 7, 2023.''

The brief statement did not explicitly mention the ceasefire, which has become increasingly uncertain after Israeli forces killed 22 people on Sunday, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry, as hundreds of Lebanese attempted to enter southern border towns and villages still under Israeli military control.

Additionally, the White House statement made no mention of France, which, alongside the United States during the presidency of Joe Biden, worked to secure the ceasefire agreement on November 27.