Israel and Lebanon agree to increase ceasefire, US state division says | World Information
3 min learnWashingtonCould 16, 2026 01:57 AM IST
Israel and Lebanon agreed to a 45-day extension of a ceasefire that has tamped down the battle between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, as two days of talks facilitated by Washington concluded on Friday with an settlement to carry additional conferences within the coming weeks.
“The April 16 cessation of hostilities will probably be prolonged by 45 days to allow additional progress,” State Division spokesperson Tommy Pigott mentioned on X, including that the talks aimed toward settling many years of battle between the 2 nations had been “extremely productive.” The ceasefire was set to run out on Sunday.
The Lebanese and Israeli delegations issued constructive statements in regards to the talks, their third assembly since Israel intensified air assaults on Lebanon after Hezbollah fired missiles at Israel on March 2, three days into the U.S.-Israeli warfare with Iran. Israel’s bombing marketing campaign and floor invasion into Lebanon’s south displaced some 1.2 million individuals, earlier than U.S. President Donald Trump introduced a ceasefire final month following preliminary talks between the 2 nations’ ambassadors in Washington.
Hezbollah and Israel have continued to commerce blows, with hostilities centered in southern Lebanon, the place Israeli forces are occupying a self-declared safety zone.
The US-led mediation between Lebanon and Israel has emerged in parallel to diplomacy aimed toward ending the US-Iran battle. Iran has mentioned ending Israel’s warfare in Lebanon is one in all its calls for for a deal over the broader battle.
Lebanon’s delegation, which is attending regardless of objections from Shi’ite Muslim Hezbollah, has prioritized a cessation in hostilities within the talks. Israel says Hezbollah should be disarmed as a part of any broader peace settlement with Lebanon.
The Washington conferences, the highest-level contact between Lebanon and Israel in many years, have advanced to incorporate safety and navy officers. Pigott mentioned on X {that a} new “safety monitor” of the negotiations can be launched on the Pentagon on Could 29, whereas the State Division will convene the 2 sides once more June 2-3 for a political monitor of negotiations.
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“We hope these discussions will advance lasting peace between the 2 nations, full recognition of one another’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and establishing real safety alongside their shared border,” Pigott mentioned.
Lebanon’s delegation mentioned in an announcement that it wished to flip the momentum from the ceasefire into a long-lasting peace settlement. “The extension of the ceasefire and the institution of a U.S.-facilitated safety monitor present important respiratory house for our residents, reinforce state establishments, and advance a political pathway towards lasting stability,” the delegation mentioned.
Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter mentioned the talks had been “frank and constructive.”
“There will probably be ups and downs, however the potential for fulfillment is nice. What will probably be paramount all through negotiations is the safety of our residents and our troopers,” Leiter mentioned on X.
