US announces extension of Israel-Lebanon ceasefire after talks between two countries
The United States announced a 45-day extension of the April 16 cessation of hostilities between Lebanon and Israel following what officials described as “highly productive talks” hosted by Washington, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
According to Tommy Pigott, the decision was reached after “two days of highly productive talks” between the two countries hosted by the US.
“The April 16 cessation of hostilities will be extended by 45 days to enable further progress,” Pigott said in a social media post, adding that the Department will continue the negotiations on June 2-3.
He also announced that “a security track will be launched at the Pentagon on May 29 with military delegations from both countries.”
“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,” Pigott said.
After the announcement, Israel’s ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, said he was “looking forward to the next steps,” adding that “the potential for success is great.”
“The peace talks were frank and constructive, and are set to move forward on two tracks: security and political. There will be ups and downs, but the potential for success is great. What will be paramount throughout negotiations is the security of our citizens and our soldiers,” he wrote in a post.
No official statements from Lebanese authorities had been issued at the time of reporting.
As Qazinform reported earlier, US President Donald Trump previously extended the then 10-day ceasefire by three weeks.
