The ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon that was set to expire on Sunday has been extended by 45 days, to allow the continuation of US-brokered talks between the two countries.
Lebanon was dragged into the Middle East war after the Iran-backed militant movement Hezbollah fired rockets towards Israel on March 2, three days into the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, to avenge Khamenei’s killing.
Israel’s bombing campaign and ground invasion into Lebanon’s south displaced some 1.2 million people, before U.S. President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire on April 16 following initial talks between the two countries’ ambassadors in Washington.
Progress in Israel – Lebanon talks
The Washington-backed talks, whose third round took place this week, are the highest-level contact between Lebanon and Israel in decades.
“On May 14 and 15, the United States hosted two days of highly-productive talks between Israel and Lebanon,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said on X, in announcing that the April 16 cessation of hostilities will be extended by 45 days to enable “further progress.”
The State Department will reconvene the political track of negotiations on June 2 and June 3. In addition, a security track will be launched at the Pentagon on May 29 with military delegations from both countries.
“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,” Pigott concluded.
Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, said he was looking forward to the next steps as the peace talks were “frank and constructive” and “set to move forward on two tracks: security and political.”
“There will be ups and downs, but the potential for success is great. What will be paramount throughout negotiations is the security of our citizens and our soldiers,” Ambassador Leiter commented.
Lebanon’s delegation said in a statement that it wanted to turn the momentum from the ceasefire into a lasting peace agreement, Reuters reports.
“The extension of the ceasefire and the establishment of a U.S.-facilitated security track provide critical breathing space for our citizens, reinforce state institutions, and advance a political pathway toward lasting stability,” the delegation said.
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