The United States has announced a 45-day extension of the ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel following a fresh round of direct talks between Lebanese and Israeli officials in Washington.
The ceasefire, which was originally due to expire on Sunday, had already been extended once before for three weeks in April amid efforts to prevent a wider regional conflict.
US State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott confirmed the extension in a statement posted on X.
“The ceasefire announced on 16 April will be extended for another 45 days to allow for further progress,” he said.
Pigott also revealed that the US State Department will host new negotiations aimed at securing a permanent political agreement between Lebanon and Israel on 2 and 3 June.
In addition, the Pentagon is expected to organize talks between military delegations from both countries on 29 May.
“We hope these talks will contribute to achieving lasting peace between the two countries, full recognition of each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the establishment of real security along their shared border,” Pigott added.
Despite the ceasefire agreement, violence between Israel and Hezbollah has continued in recent weeks.
Israeli forces have repeatedly carried out strikes on Hezbollah-linked targets inside Lebanon, while the Iran-backed group has continued launching drone attacks towards Israel.
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