The White House said Friday that a ceasefire extension is "urgently needed" in Lebanon, adding that it welcomed the Israeli army withdrawal from the country’s central regions.
"We are pleased that the Israeli Army has started the withdrawal from the central regions of Lebanon," the White House said, according to Reuters.
Israeli forces will remain in southern Lebanon beyond a 60-day deadline stipulated in a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah because its terms have not been fully implemented, the Israeli prime minister's office said on Friday.
"All parties share the goal of ensuring Hezbollah does not have the ability to threaten the Lebanese people or their neighbors. To achieve these goals, a short, temporary ceasefire extension is urgently needed," said Brian Hughes, White House National Security Council spokesperson.
"We are pleased that the IDF has started the withdrawal from the central regions, and we continue to work closely with our regional partners to finalize the extension."
Meanwhile, the Lebanese Army said its forces deployed in two towns in the Tyre district in southern Lebanon on Friday following an Israeli withdrawal.
The deployment was carried out in coordination with the five-member committee and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
On November 26, Israel and Lebanon reached a ceasefire to be implemented in phases over 60 days. The agreement took effect the next day, but Israel has been violating it on a daily basis.
Under the ceasefire agreement, Israeli troops should withdraw from the South and the Lebanese military will deploy in the region within a 60-day time frame.
The Lebanese government has said that it can’t deploy its force until Israeli troops pull out. Hezbollah has warned that it could resume fighting if Israel doesn’t withdraw.
