Israel and Lebanon agree to 45-day ceasefire extension: U.S. State Department
Listen to this articleEstimated 2 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 45-day extension of their ceasefire after another round of talks in Washington, the U.S. State Department said Friday. It comes after two "productive" days of talks and will be followed by more negotiations June 2 and 3, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said. A shaky truce between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon had been due to end on Sunday."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 on social media.While a key objective of Friday's talks was extending the tenuous ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, both sides continue to trade strikes. The Israeli military said Friday it struck Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon after reporting hostile aircraft alerts and launches from across the border. Lebanon's health ministry said nearly 40 people were wounded in Israeli strikes near the coastal city of Tyre. One strike "levelled" a primary health center and also damaged the neighbouring Hiram Hospital, wounding six medical staff members, the statement said.WATCH | 4 dead in Beirut airstrike:The Israeli army says it killed Ahmed Ali Balout, a commander in Hezbollah's Radwan force, in an airstrike on Beirut. Lebanese officials say the strike left four people dead. There is a ceasefire deal between the countries, but Israel has continued operations in Lebanon, saying it is targeting Hezbollah.
