US-mediated truce between Israel and Lebanon extended by 45 days
The US-mediated truce between Israel and Lebanon has been extended by 45 days, State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said on Friday.
Pigott said the sides had agreed to extend the ceasefire reached on April 16 following “highly productive talks.” He added that the Pentagon would host discussions with military delegations on May 29, while the State Department would hold another meeting focused on political matters on June 2-3.
“We hope these discussions will advance lasting peace between the two countries, full recognition of each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the establishment of genuine security along their shared border,” Pigott said.
The announcement came as an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon killed at least six people, including three paramedics, and wounded 22 others, according to local officials. The strikes have killed nearly 3,000 people in Lebanon since March, when Israel resumed operations against the armed group Hezbollah, which had fired rockets at Israel in support of Iran. Tehran has since listed an end to hostilities in Lebanon as one of its key conditions for a peace agreement with the US and Israel.
Hezbollah, which was not part of the peace talks, has continued mortar, rocket, and drone attacks on Israeli troops stationed in parts of southern Lebanon that Israel says are needed for a “security zone.” The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have lost six soldiers since the start of the ceasefire, including a staff sergeant killed on Thursday.
