White House: Ceasefire Extension in Lebanon Is Urgently Needed

Lebanese soldiers patrol in a vehicle along a residential area that was devastated by the war between Israel and Hezbollah, in the southern coastal town of Naqoura, near the border with Israel, on January 22, 2025. (AFP)
Lebanese soldiers patrol in a vehicle along a residential area that was devastated by the war between Israel and Hezbollah, in the southern coastal town of Naqoura, near the border with Israel, on January 22, 2025. (AFP)
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White House: Ceasefire Extension in Lebanon Is Urgently Needed

Lebanese soldiers patrol in a vehicle along a residential area that was devastated by the war between Israel and Hezbollah, in the southern coastal town of Naqoura, near the border with Israel, on January 22, 2025. (AFP)
Lebanese soldiers patrol in a vehicle along a residential area that was devastated by the war between Israel and Hezbollah, in the southern coastal town of Naqoura, near the border with Israel, on January 22, 2025. (AFP)

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.



Gazans Must Return Home, EU Plans to Tell Israel 

A Palestinian man and two girls stand a mid of the rubble of homes, destroyed by the Israeli army's air and ground offensive against Hamas in in Bureij refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. (AP)
A Palestinian man and two girls stand a mid of the rubble of homes, destroyed by the Israeli army's air and ground offensive against Hamas in in Bureij refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. (AP)
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Gazans Must Return Home, EU Plans to Tell Israel 

A Palestinian man and two girls stand a mid of the rubble of homes, destroyed by the Israeli army's air and ground offensive against Hamas in in Bureij refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. (AP)
A Palestinian man and two girls stand a mid of the rubble of homes, destroyed by the Israeli army's air and ground offensive against Hamas in in Bureij refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. (AP)

The EU plans to tell Israel next week that Palestinians uprooted from their Gaza homes should be ensured a dignified return and that Europe will contribute to rebuilding the shattered territory, according to a document seen by Reuters.

That echoes Arab positions but conflicts with President Donald Trump's stated aim for the US to take over the shattered coastal strip and rebuild it into a "Riviera of the Middle East" while Gazans emigrate to other nations.

The EU, which has been a major aid provider to Palestinians, is to outline its position to Israeli officials in talks in Brussels on February 24 as part of the EU-Israel Association Council, the first such session since 2022.

A document outlining the draft EU position emphasizes both Europe's commitment to Israel's security and its view that "displaced Gazans should be ensured a safe and dignified return to their homes in Gaza".

"The EU will actively contribute to a coordinated international effort to early recovery and reconstruction in Gaza," it said, also calling for full humanitarian access.

"The EU deeply deplores the unacceptable number of civilians, especially women and children, who have lost their lives, and the catastrophic humanitarian situation notably caused by the insufficient entry of aid into Gaza, in particular in the North."

Israel launched its assault on Gaza after fighters from the Palestinian group Hamas stormed southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

More than 48,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to Palestinian health officials. Much of the enclave has been laid waste with most of its 2.3 million pre-war population displaced multiple times, humanitarian agencies say.

"The EU strongly opposes all actions that undermine the viability of the two-state solution," the document added, referring to its position that Palestinians should have an independent homeland alongside Israel.