Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire set to be extended beyond next week

The ceasefire agreement that paused the war between Israel and Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon will likely be extended when it expires next week, according to several people familiar with the matter.

The Iran-backed terrorists and the Israelis are unlikely to resume full-scale fighting despite needing more time to implement the original terms of the truce, which started in late November, according to Lebanese, Israeli and French government officials involved in ongoing talks.

The French- and U.S.-backed deal gave Israeli troops 60 days to pull out of southern Lebanese villages. Hezbollah was required to withdraw north of the Litani River, with the Lebanese army replacing them.

Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthi terrorists said they have released the crew of a commercial vessel that they hijacked over a year ago, the latest step in the easing of risks to ships in the Red Sea region.

The Galaxy Leader was among the first vessels to be targeted by Houthi terrorists in the southern Red Sea, a major trade passageway between Asia and Europe. The attacks have killed seafarers, sunk vessels and forced the bulk of traffic to diverge thousands of miles around Africa.

Terrorist leader Abdulmalik Al-Houthi ordered the release of the seafarers who were handed to Omani officials, according to the Houthi-operated Al-Masirah TV.

The Israeli military said Wednesday its soldiers killed a terrorist in Gaza who it said posed a threat to its forces, as the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas stretched into a fourth day.

It appeared to be the first time since the ceasefire began Sunday that the Israeli military said it struck targets in Gaza.

Israeli forces are pressing ahead with a major military operation in the West Bank city of Jenin for a second day.

The war began when Hamas-led terrorists stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting around 250. Around 100 hostages still remain in Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed dead. The rest have been released, rescued, or their bodies recovered.

Israel’s retaliatory military campaign has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were fighters.

Israel says it killed more than 17,000 terrorists.

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations believes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will travel to Washington to meet President Donald Trump “in a few weeks.”

Danny Danon told reporters Wednesday: “I’m sure he would be one of the first foreign leaders invited to the White House.”

Danon said he expects their discussions to include the current ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and the release of hostages.

The Israeli military said Wednesday it was drawing down soldiers from the Gaza Strip.

Also Wednesday, Israeli military spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said that troops will begin to withdraw Saturday from a corridor that bisects northern Gaza from the south. That will pave the way for Palestinians prevented from heading north to return to their homes.