Representatives of Israel and Lebanon agreed this Friday in Washington to extend for 45 days the ceasefire declared on April 16, announced the United States Department of State, which acts as mediator.
In addition, the delegations of both countries agreed to hold a new round of peace negotiations on June 2 and 3, as well as a military-level meeting at the Pentagon on May 29.
“We hope that these discussions will move toward lasting peace between the two countries, full recognition of each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the establishment of true security along their common border,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said on social media.
Representatives of both countries held two days of talks at the State Department to try to save the ceasefire agreed upon in April, which expired this Friday and which has been violated by the continued Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory.
The Israeli delegation was made up of the ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, and the deputy national security advisor Yossi Draznin; while on the Lebanese side the ambassador to the United States, Nada Hamadeh, and the special envoy Simon Karam participated.
The United States was represented by the advisor of the State Department, Michael Needham; the ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, and the ambassador to Lebanon, Michel Issa.
Israel and Lebanon, which do not have diplomatic relations, had held two previous rounds of contacts in the US capital, on April 14 and 23, which served to agree, and then extend, a ceasefire in the Israeli attacks that began in Lebanese territory with the start of the Iran war.
However, Israel has continued bombing Lebanese territory since the truce came into effect, while the Shiite group Hezbollah, which is not participating in the negotiations, has attacked Israeli forces in Lebanon and launched projectiles into Israeli territory.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun warned on Tuesday, on the eve of the new round of negotiations, that the Israeli attacks “erode efforts to consolidate the cessation of hostilities.”
The main objective of the negotiations is to consolidate the truce between both countries and establish the bases of a peace treaty, for which Beirut demands the withdrawal of Israeli troops from its territory, while Israel demands the disarmament of Hezbollah.
