The Israeli-Lebanese ceasefire, which was set to expire on Sunday, will be extended by 45 days to allow for further progress, the US State Department announced after a new round of direct negotiations between representatives from Israel and Lebanon on Thursday and Friday. The US State Department specified that a new round of discussions will be organized on June 2 and 3. In the meantime, the Pentagon will convene military delegations from both countries on May 29.
Continuation of diplomatic discussions
Israeli Ambassador in Washington, Yechiel Leiter, stated after the talks that it would be essential to ensure the security of his country. “There will be ups and downs, but the chances of success are high,” he wrote on the X network. The Lebanese delegation welcomed the extension, saying it paves the way for “lasting stability,” but emphasized the need for a “process by stages and verifiable,” supported by Washington.
Speaking from Lebanon, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam accused the pro-Iranian Hezbollah of leading the country into a new “irresponsible” war. “Enough of these irresponsible adventures serving foreign projects or interests,” he said, calling for support from Arab countries and the broader international community in negotiations with Israel.
Despite the ceasefire that took effect on April 17, Israel continues its strikes in Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah, while the Shiite movement continues to launch rockets at Israeli positions. Lebanon reported the deaths of six people, including three rescuers from the Islamic Health Committee affiliated with Hezbollah, in an Israeli bombing in the south of the country. Over 400 people have died in Israeli strikes in Lebanon since the beginning of the truce, according to official figures.
Intensification of military operations
During the talks in Washington on Friday, the Israeli army issued evacuation orders for about ten areas in southern Lebanon and announced plans to “strike Hezbollah infrastructure in the Tyre region.” “There are only women, children, and elderly people here. This strike causes new displacements,” said Hafez Ramadan, who lives near the building targeted by the strike, which he said mainly housed displaced people. The strikes in Tyre caused 37 injuries, including six medical staff members at the hospital, four children, and nine women, according to the Ministry of Health.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for drone attacks on barracks in northern Israel, as well as other attacks against Israeli forces in several border Lebanese locations. The Israeli army is deployed in this area to, according to it, protect the population of northern Israel from the fire of the pro-Iranian movement. Israel, like the United States, calls on Beirut to disarm Hezbollah. “Lebanon negotiates for a future in which its borders will be respected and its sovereignty ensured only by its army,” the Lebanese delegation also stressed in Washington. A senior official of the pro-Iranian movement, Mahmoud Qomati, called the negotiations with Israel “humiliating” and denounced “a plot against the country.”
Developments in the Strait of Hormuz
From Tehran, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, visiting India, expressed openness to Chinese assistance in resolving the conflict, following remarks by Donald Trump in Beijing stating that his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping had offered to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz. “We know that the Chinese have good intentions. Any initiative on their part to support diplomacy would be welcomed,” said Abbas Araghchi.
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