Lebanon welcomes 45-day extension of fragile ceasefire with Israel

Lebanon welcomes the 45-day extension to a porous ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, which was announced at the conclusion of the third round of talks in Washington between Jerusalem and Beirut.

This is the second time that the ceasefire has been extended since it was announced by US President Donald Trump on April 16. The previous three-week extension was set to expire on Sunday.

Despite the ceasefire, Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon have continued on a daily basis, with the US granting Jerusalem permission to target any deemed threats. Hezbollah has sought to target IDF soldiers, who have established a wide buffer zone in southern Lebanon, which Israel says is necessary to protect its towns across the border.

However, the ceasefire has largely held in Beirut and other areas further away from the border following US pressure on Israel.

In a statement following the third round of talks with Israel, Lebanon touts the establishment of separate military and political tracks that will meet separately in the coming weeks at the State Department and Pentagon.

“Lebanon will continue to engage constructively in negotiations while safeguarding its sovereignty and protecting the safety of its people,” the statement from the Lebanese delegation says.

It says the pillars of Beirut’s position are restoration of its sovereignty, return of the displaced, reconstruction, release of detainees, recovery of remains and the establishment of an independent verification mechanism.

“Lebanon is negotiating for a future in which its borders are respected, its sovereignty is upheld solely by its Lebanese Armed Forces, and its people can live in lasting peace and security,” the statement adds.

While there appears to be goodwill building among negotiators from both sides, Israel does not trust that the Lebanese government is capable of disarming Hezbollah, leading to questions as to whether any deal reached in Washington can actually be implemented in Lebanon.

The talks also don’t include a representative of Lebanon’s Shiite population, with Hezbollah-aligned Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri refusing to participate so long as Israel continues to strike Lebanon and maintain a buffer zone in the country, an Arab official told The Times of Israel this week.