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,

The U.S. said on Sunday that the agreement between Lebanon and Israel would remain in effect until Feb. 18, after Israel said on Friday it would keep troops in the south beyond the Sunday deadline set out in a U.