The White House said Sunday that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to extend the deadline for Israeli troops to depart southern Lebanon until Feb. 18, after Israel requested more time to withdraw beyond the 60-day deadline stipulated in a ceasefire agreement that halted the Israel-Hezbollah war in late November.

A ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon that was agreed to last November will be extended until mid-February, the White House said on Sunday. Israel and Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy that has been prominent in Lebanon for decades,

Any prolonged Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon could breathe new life into Hezbollah, a group that was founded to liberate Lebanon from Israeli occupation and has portrayed itself as the only force capable of protecting Lebanon’s borders,