Deadly Loop

Israel and Lebanon have agreed to extend the ceasefire agreement between the two countries until Feb. 18, the Times of Israel reported, after 22 people were killed when trying to return home in southern Lebanon while Israel troops remained in the area in violation of Sunday’s deadline to withdraw.

At least 80 others were wounded, Sky News reported, amid widespread protests against the presence of IDF troops and concerns over the ceasefire, the Washington Post reported.

The casualties came on Sunday after Israeli forces allegedly fired on civilians attempting to return to border villages still under occupation. Israel said that its forces responded to threats, apprehending several individuals deemed dangerous.

The US-brokered ceasefire agreement, intended to end 14 months of war, stipulated a 60-day timeline for the withdrawal of both Israeli forces and Hezbollah from the south but has faced delays. Israel claimed that the deal had not been fully implemented, saying Lebanon had not yet fully enforced terms requiring south Lebanon to be free of Hezbollah with the Lebanese army being deployed in its place, according to Reuters.

Lebanese officials, including new President Joseph Aoun, condemned the violence and Israel’s extension of its presence, the BBC added.

The violence is part of the Hezbollah-Israel conflict that was fought in parallel with Israel’s against Hamas – both Hamas and Hezbollah are backed by Iran. The fighting peaked last year in a major Israeli offensive that uprooted more than a million people in Lebanon and left Hezbollah severely weakened, including the death of its senior leadership.

Meanwhile, over the weekend, Hamas released four Israeli hostages, including female soldiers, in exchange for 200 Palestinian prisoners, CBS News wrote.

The hostages were taken on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas and its allies launched an attack on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people and saw around 250 others kidnapped – an assault that sparked the ongoing conflict in the region.

The exchange is part of the Gaza ceasefire deal, which began last weekend. The Gaza ceasefire – brokered by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt – is set to last six weeks, during which 33 Israeli hostages will be released in staggered phases alongside more Palestinian prisoners.

However, uncertainties persist as Israeli officials have accused Hamas of failing to meet its obligations, including the promised release of specific hostages. The agreement has also sparked domestic dissent, with far-right Israeli politicians, such as National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, resigning from Netanyahu’s coalition in protest.

Meanwhile, Palestinians in Gaza face immense challenges after months-long fighting killed more than 47,000 people, according to health officials in the enclave. The war has left entire neighborhoods reduced to rubble. Aid has surged into the enclave but there have been issues with security against looters and criminal gangs.

Over the weekend, US-based private security contractors began deploying in Gaza to oversee checkpoints during the ceasefire’s first phase, the Middle East Eye noted. Tasked with screening displaced Palestinians returning north, contractors will monitor the Netzarim corridor following Israel’s planned troop withdrawal from the area. Critics warned that the use of foreign contractors in such a volatile region could complicate efforts to stabilize Gaza.