From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, February 11, 2025
Israel asked to extend IDF deployment in Lebanon but US plans to stick to Feb. 18 deadline, official says
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
WASHINGTON — Israel asked the Trump administration on Monday for another extension to the deadline for the IDF withdrawal from southern Lebanon, a US official tells The Times of Israel.
The response from Washington is that for now it plans to stick to the February 18 deadline, says the US official.
US deputy Mideast envoy Morgan Ortagus traveled to Lebanon to survey the progress of the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah and told reporters that the Trump administration views February 18 as a “firm date” for the completion of Israel’s withdrawal.
The ceasefire inked by the previous Biden administration in late November was originally supposed to see an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon by late January. Hours before that deadline was set to expire, the US announced an extension until February 18, maintaining that the southern Lebanese army had yet to sufficiently deploy in lieu of the IDF in order to ensure that Hezbollah cannot regain a foothold along Israel’s northern border.
