Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 45-day extension of their ceasefire to allow further negotiations, the U.S. State Department said Friday, as the Trump administration works to ease tensions that have complicated efforts to conclude the war against Iran.
The extension of the truce follows two days of negotiations in Washington hosted by US officials. The mediators have sought to wind down an Israeli campaign against Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah isn’t involved in the ceasefire but had largely abided by its terms, News.Az reports, citing Livemint.
***
The State Department will reconvene political talks on June 2 and 3 and there will be a separate track of negotiations involving military officials that will start at the Pentagon on May, State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott wrote on social media.
“We hope these discussions will advance lasting peace between the two countries, full recognition of each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and establishing genuine security along their shared border,” he said on X.
The ceasefire was previously extended on April 23, a few days before it was meant to expire.
But this week has seen more fighting, with Israeli strikes on Hezbollah targets earlier on Friday. Hezbollah launched an explosive drone on Thurdsay that injured some Israeli civilians, while a senior Israel Defense Forces official vowing on Wednesday their “operation is not over.”
The Lebanon ceasefire is meant to pave the way for negotiations on a permanent peace accord between the two countries. Israeli strikes in Lebanon previously complicated US efforts to negotiate with Tehran. Iran’s leadership have insisted any deal with the US must include a halt in Israeli attacks on Lebanon.
