- Extending the ceasefire follows US-US negotiations.
- Lebanon participates in negotiations despite Hezbollah’s objections.
- Israel seeks Hezbollah’s disarmament.
WASHINGTON: Israel and Lebanon agreed to a 45-day extension of a ceasefire that has eased the conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, as two days of talks facilitated by Washington ended on Friday with an agreement to hold further meetings in the coming weeks.
“The cessation of hostilities on April 16 will be extended by 45 days to allow for further progress,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said on X, adding that talks aimed at settling decades of conflict between the two countries were “very productive.” The ceasefire was due to expire on Sunday.
The Lebanese and Israeli delegations issued positive statements about the talks, their third meeting since Israel stepped up airstrikes on Lebanon after Hezbollah fired missiles at Israel on March 2, three days into the US-Israeli war with Iran. Israel’s bombing campaign and ground invasion in southern Lebanon displaced about 1.2 million people before US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire last month after initial talks between the two countries’ ambassadors in Washington.
Hezbollah and Israel have continued to trade blows, with hostilities focused in southern Lebanon, where Israeli forces occupy a self-declared security zone.
Lebanon wants hostilities to end
The US-led mediation between Lebanon and Israel has emerged in parallel with diplomacy aimed at ending the conflict between the US and Iran. Iran has said ending Israel’s war in Lebanon is one of the country’s demands for an agreement on the wider conflict.
Lebanon’s delegation, which is participating despite objections from Hezbollah, has prioritized a cessation of hostilities in the negotiations. Israel says Hezbollah must be disarmed as part of any broader peace deal with Lebanon.
The Washington meetings, the highest level of contact between Lebanon and Israel in decades, have expanded to include security and military officials. Pigott said on X that a new “security track” of the talks would be launched at the Pentagon on May 29, while the State Department would convene the two sides again on May 2-3. June to a political track of negotiations.
“We hope these discussions will promote lasting peace between the two countries, full recognition of each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and establish genuine security along their shared border,” Pigott said.
Lebanon’s delegation said in a statement that it wanted to turn the momentum from the ceasefire to a lasting peace deal. “The extension of the ceasefire and the establishment of a US-facilitated security track provide critical respite for our citizens, strengthen state institutions and promote a political path towards lasting stability,” the delegation said.
Israel’s ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter said the talks were “sincere and constructive”.
“There will be ups and downs, but the potential for success is great. What will be paramount throughout the negotiations is the safety of our citizens and our soldiers,” Leiter said at X.
