Israel and Lebanon Extend Ceasefire for 45 Days Amid Ongoing Clashes

Israel and Lebanon have agreed a 45-day extension to a shaky ceasefire, following two days of negotiations in Washington DC, the US state department said.

"We hope these discussions will advance lasting peace between the two countries, full recognition of each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and establishing genuine security along their shared border," said state department spokesman Tommy Pigott.

US President Donald Trump announced the truce on 16 April, but Israel and Hezbollah have continued to exchange fire since then.

"In addition, a security track will be launched at the Pentagon on May 29 with military delegations from both countries," Pigott added.

Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said that he hoped to "mobilise all Arab and international support to bolster our position in the negotiations" with Israel.

There have been almost daily reports of Hezbollah and Israel trading fire across the southern border of Lebanon since the ceasefire began.

Israel has intensified its air and artillery strikes in recent days, particularly in southern Lebanon, saying it was targeting Hezbollah fighters and infrastructure.

In those areas, entire villages have been destroyed in similar tactics deployed by the Israeli military in Gaza. Human rights groups say some cases could amount to war crimes, which Israel denies.

Hezbollah has carried out its own attacks on Israeli troops in Lebanon and northern Israel with rockets and drones.

Southern Lebanon is the heartland of the country's Shia community, from which Hezbollah gets most of its support, and has been under constant Israeli bombardment.

More than one million people, amounting to one in five of the population, have been forced from their homes across Lebanon, most of them from the south, the eastern Bekaa Valley, and the southern suburbs of Beirut known as Dahieh, areas where Hezbollah holds sway.