Israel extends Lebanon ceasefire 45 days

The United States said on May 15 that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to extend their April 16 cessation of hostilities by 45 days after two days of talks in Washington. The State Department said the extension was meant to keep negotiations going on a political track and open a parallel security track between the two countries’ militaries. The announcement preserved a pause that has reduced the scale of fighting but has not stopped violence along the border. Israeli strikes resumed in southern Lebanon the next day, and Hezbollah said it carried out a drone attack on a military target in northern Israel. ### What exactly did Washington say the two sides agreed to? Thomas “Tommy” Pigott, the State Department spokesperson, said the United States facilitated talks on May 14 and 15 between Israel and Lebanon at the State Department. In a May 15 statement, Pigott said the two countries agreed on a framework for negotiations aimed at “lasting peace,” recognition of sovereignty and territorial integrity, and security along the shared border. (state.gov) He said the April 16 cessation of hostilities would be extended by 45 days. The State Department said the political track would reconvene on June 2 and June 3, while a security track with military delegations from both countries would open at the Pentagon on May 29. Reuters reported that the ceasefire had been due to expire on May 17. ### Where did this ceasefire come from in the first place? (state.gov) The April 16 arrangement followed a trilateral meeting in Washington on April 14 that included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter and Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad. The State Department called that meeting the first major high-level engagement between the governments of Israel and Lebanon since 1993. (state.gov) A State Department media note issued on April 16 said the two governments were not at war and would begin a 10-day cessation of hostilities at 17:00 EST that day. The same note said the pause could be extended by mutual agreement if negotiations showed progress, while also stating that Israel would preserve what the document called its right to take necessary measures in self-defense against planned, imminent or ongoing attacks. (state.gov) ### Why did strikes resume so quickly after the extension? Israeli airstrikes hit southern Lebanon on May 16, one day after the extension was announced. Agence France-Presse, citing Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency, reported strikes on more than two dozen villages after evacuation warnings covering nine villages. The report said some strikes hit areas more than 50 kilometers from the border and prompted residents to head toward Sidon and Beirut. (state.gov) The State Department’s April 16 text helps explain how the pause has functioned. That document said Israel would not carry out offensive military operations against Lebanese targets during the cessation, but it separately preserved Israel’s stated right to act in self-defense against imminent or ongoing attacks. (al-monitor.com) ### What are Israel, Lebanon and Hezbollah each saying? Lebanon’s delegation said after the Washington talks that it wanted to turn the ceasefire momentum into a lasting peace agreement, according to Reuters. Reuters also reported that Lebanon has prioritized a cessation in hostilities, while Israel says Hezbollah must be disarmed as part of any broader agreement. (state.gov) The State Department said it remained aware of what it called “Hizballah’s continued attacks on Israel,” which it said were carried out without the consent or approval of the Lebanese government and were intended to derail the process. AFP reported that Hezbollah opposed the negotiations and on May 16 said it had struck the Ya’ara barracks in northern Israel with attack drones after accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire. (usnews.com) ### What should readers watch next? May 29 is the next dated milestone in the process, when the Pentagon is due to host military delegations from Israel and Lebanon for the new security track. June 2 and June 3 are the next scheduled political talks at the State Department, according to Pigott’s May 15 statement. (state.gov)