Israel and Lebanon Agree to 45-Days Ceasefire Extension Following US Talks
May 2026 | By Azad News
The United States announced that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to extend their ceasefire for an additional 45 days following negotiations held in Washington.
According to the US State Department, the extension will allow both sides more time to continue diplomatic discussions and seek further progress toward reducing tensions.
The original ceasefire, declared by US President Donald Trump on April 16, was set to expire on Sunday if no extension had been reached.
US officials described the latest round of Israel-Lebanon negotiations held on May 14 and 15 in Washington as productive, with another round of talks scheduled for early June.
Despite the ceasefire extension, violence has continued across southern Lebanon, where Israeli airstrikes reportedly injured dozens of civilians, including women, children, and hospital workers.
Lebanese authorities stated that more than 400 people have been killed since the ceasefire first came into effect in April.
The United Nations humanitarian coordinator for Lebanon condemned the continued attacks and stressed that ongoing diplomatic efforts offer an important opportunity to stop the violence.
The Israeli military said it targeted Hezbollah infrastructure sites near the southern Lebanese city of Tyre and issued evacuation warnings for multiple towns in the region.
Local residents reported that some of the targeted buildings were sheltering displaced families, including women, children, and elderly civilians affected by the conflict.
Israel also confirmed the death of one of its soldiers during clashes in southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah claimed responsibility for a drone attack targeting an Israeli military headquarters.
The latest developments mark the third round of talks between Israel and Lebanon since military tensions sharply escalated earlier this year.
Conclusion
Although the ceasefire extension offers a temporary diplomatic breakthrough, continued airstrikes and military exchanges indicate that the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah remains highly volatile and unresolved.
This article is a rewritten summary based on publicly available information. It has been fully paraphrased for informational purposes only and does not reproduce any original copyrighted text.
