US State Department says Israel and Lebanon extend ceasefire by 45 days

Washington (ANTARA) - Israel and Lebanon have agreed to extend the 45-day ceasefire that took effect last month, a US State Department spokesperson said on Friday (May 15).

“The cessation of hostilities on April 16 will be extended for 45 days to allow for further progress,” US State Department spokesperson Tommy Piggott said on the social media platform X.

Israel and Lebanon will continue political negotiations at the US State Department on June 2-3, while their military delegations are scheduled to begin parallel security talks at the Pentagon on May 29, Piggott said.

Israel and Lebanon held their third round of direct talks in Washington on Thursday (May 14) and Friday, which Piggott described as “very productive.”

Despite the ceasefire, clashes between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon continue. Israeli attacks killed at least nine people and injured dozens more in southern Lebanon on Friday, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.

Hezbollah said it targeted drones, troops, military bulldozers and an Israeli Merkava tank in several areas of southern Lebanon.

The Lebanon Public Health Emergency Operations Center said that Israeli attacks between March 2 and May 15 killed 2,951 people and injured 8,988 others.