Kamal Ghorui
Israel and Lebanon have agreed to extend their ceasefire by 45 days after two days of talks in Washington, offering a temporary diplomatic breakthrough in a conflict that has continued to claim lives despite the truce. The extension, announced by the US State Department on Friday, will keep the cessation of hostilities in place beyond its original expiry date on Sunday while fresh political and military negotiations continue in the coming weeks.US State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott described the talks as “highly productive” and said discussions aimed at reaching a long-term political agreement would resume on June 2 and 3. A separate “security track” involving military officials from both countries is also set to begin at the Pentagon on May 29. Washington said the talks are intended to secure lasting peace, mutual recognition of sovereignty and stronger security arrangements along the Israel-Lebanon border.The agreement comes amid continuing violence on the ground. Within hours of the ceasefire extension being announced, Israeli strikes hit multiple areas in southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah launched new drone and rocket attacks targeting Israeli military positions. The latest developments have underlined the fragility of the truce even as diplomats push for a broader settlement.
Diplomatic push amid deep divisions
The latest negotiations brought together Israeli and Lebanese delegations in Washington as the United States attempted to prevent a wider regional escalation. Lebanon’s delegation said the extension would provide “critical breathing room” for civilians and create space for discussions aimed at achieving “lasting stability”.Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam also used the moment to criticise Hezbollah indirectly, saying Lebanon had suffered enough from “reckless adventures serving foreign projects or interests”. He said the conflict had led to the occupation of dozens of Lebanese towns and villages by Israeli forces.Israel’s ambassador to Washington, Yechiel Leiter, who led the Israeli delegation, said the priority remained Israel’s security but added that there was “great” potential for success in the talks despite expected setbacks.The ceasefire diplomacy is also closely tied to broader tensions involving Iran. Tehran, Hezbollah’s main backer, has insisted that a lasting ceasefire in Lebanon must come before any wider regional agreement with US President Donald Trump.
Strikes continue despite truce extension
Despite the diplomatic progress, violence has continued across southern Lebanon. Lebanese authorities said an Israeli strike on a Hezbollah-linked health centre in Hanuf killed six people, including three paramedics. Further strikes in the Tyre district wounded at least 37 people, among them women, children and hospital workers.Israel said its military operations were targeting Hezbollah infrastructure and fighters. The Israeli military claimed it had killed more than 220 Hezbollah fighters over the past week and struck hundreds of targets. It also confirmed another Israeli soldier had been killed in southern Lebanon, bringing the number of Israeli troops killed since early March to 19.At the same time, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for multiple operations against Israeli forces, including drone strikes, missile attacks and ambushes targeting tanks and military vehicles in southern Lebanon. The Israel Defense Forces said Hezbollah had also launched anti-tank missiles and mortar shells near areas where Israeli troops were operating.The United Nations humanitarian coordinator for Lebanon, Imran Riza, warned that the humanitarian situation remained “deeply alarming”, pointing to daily airstrikes and civilian casualties. Still, he expressed hope that the renewed talks could eventually pave the way for a political solution after weeks of escalating violence that has killed nearly 3,000 people in Lebanon since March, according to Lebanese authorities.
