Lebanese-Israeli Negotiations: Washington Announces Extension of 'Ceasefire' and Beirut Talks About 'Concrete Progress'

SadaNews - The Lebanese delegation in Washington announced on Friday that the tripartite negotiations with the United States and Israel resulted in "significant diplomatic progress" in favor of Lebanon. Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department announced the extension of the "ceasefire" for an additional 45 days. The Lebanese delegation confirmed in a statement that the parties "agreed to extend the ceasefire for an additional 45 days." The United States announced late Friday to Saturday the extension of the fragile "ceasefire" for 45 days starting from May 17, despite daily violations by the Israeli army, amid U.S. silence, as Washington is considered the sponsor of negotiations between Tel Aviv and Beirut. The Lebanese delegation stated that it "concluded two days of negotiations at the U.S. State Department in Washington, D.C., which resulted in significant diplomatic progress for Lebanon." It added that "the parties agreed to extend the current ceasefire for an additional 45 days to allow for the start of a security track under U.S. auspices on May 29, and to enhance the political momentum achieved in recent days." The delegation pointed out that "an official political track has been launched, reflecting Lebanon's constructive engagement and enhancing the chances of reaching a lasting peaceful solution. The next meeting will be held on June 2-3 at the U.S. State Department in Washington." It also added that "the United States will proactively work to enhance military communication and coordination between Lebanon and Israel through a security track scheduled to launch at the Pentagon in Washington on May 29." The delegation emphasized that "Lebanon will continue its constructive participation in negotiations while maintaining its sovereignty and protecting the safety of its people." They stated that their goal is "to transform the momentum of the current ceasefire into a comprehensive and lasting agreement that preserves the dignity, security, and future of the Lebanese people." Despite the ceasefire being in effect since April 17, Israel has continued to escalate its attacks on Lebanon, resulting in daily bombings and destruction that have led to fatalities and injuries, while Hezbollah responds with attacks targeting the Israeli army in southern Lebanon and towns in the north near the border. The negotiating delegation noted that "the fundamental pillars for Lebanon are to restore sovereignty over its entire territory, ensure the security of its people, facilitate the return of displaced persons, reconstruction, release of detainees, and recover the remains of victims." For its part, Washington described the negotiations it hosted over two days as "extremely fruitful," with U.S. State Department spokesman Tommy Vietor posting on the platform X that the extension aims to "allow for further progress." The Lebanese and Israeli sides had held two rounds of talks in the U.S. capital on April 14 and 23, in preparation for peace negotiations. Israel has been waging a war on Lebanon since March 2, 2026, resulting in the martyrdom of 2951 people and injuries to 8,988, in addition to the displacement of more than a million individuals, according to official data; this followed Hezbollah's alignment alongside Iran.