Israel Extends Ceasefire, Insists on Keeping Troops in Lebanon

Israeli authorities have stressed that the ceasefire with Hezbollah will hold as long as the Iran-backed group complies with it. Tel Aviv also insists that Israeli forces will remain stationed in southern Lebanon throughout the ceasefire period.

An unnamed Israeli official, quoted by the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth and reported by Anadolu Agency on Saturday, said the ceasefire arrangement allows Israeli troops to stay in southern Lebanon and act against “emerging threats”.

“If Hezbollah does not attack, we will not attack them. If they attack us, we will retaliate,” the Israeli official said, as cited by Yedioth Ahronoth.

The ceasefire extension between Israel and Hezbollah was confirmed by an unnamed senior United States official speaking to Anadolu Agency. The senior US official said the extension took effect on Friday afternoon at 4pm local time. No further details were provided about the agreement to prolong the ceasefire.

The announcement of the extension came after at least 47 people were killed and several others wounded in a wave of Israeli airstrikes across southern and eastern Lebanon since Friday morning. Four Israeli soldiers were also killed in a Hezbollah attack in southern Lebanon.

This marked the deadliest escalation since the US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war on all fronts, including in Lebanon. The MoU was signed electronically and remotely by US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday evening.