Lebanon truce extended by 45 days
Israel and Lebanon agreed on Friday to extend their ceasefire by 45 days and continue negotiations towards a broader political settlement, even as Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon and Gaza highlighted the continued volatility across the region.
The extension was announced after two days of talks in Washington involving Israeli and Lebanese officials under US mediation. The ceasefire, originally due to expire on Sunday, will now remain in place while further negotiations continue.
US State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said new political negotiations would be held on June 2 and 3, while military delegations from both countries are expected to meet under Pentagon auspices on May 29.
"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.
Despite the diplomatic progress, violence continued on the ground. As talks concluded in Washington, the Israeli military issued evacuation warnings for parts of the southern Lebanese city of Tyre before carrying out a series of strikes it said targeted Hezbollah infrastructure.
Lebanon's health ministry said the attacks wounded at least 37 people, including hospital workers, women and children. State media reported that one strike hit near a hospital and another targeted a centre run by a local non-governmental organisation.
The United Nations humanitarian coordinator for Lebanon, Imran Riza, warned that continuing strikes were exacting "an unacceptable toll on civilians and civilian infrastructure". Israel said the latest operations were not covered by the ceasefire arrangement because Hezbollah was not part of the diplomatic process.
The Israeli military also announced the death of another soldier in southern Lebanon, bringing the number of Israeli troops killed in clashes with Hezbollah since early March to 19. Hezbollah, meanwhile, said it had launched a drone strike against an Israeli military brigade headquarters.
At the same time, Israel announced it had carried out a strike in Gaza targeting Ezzedine Al-Haddad, identified by Israeli as the commander of Hamas's armed wing and one of the alleged planners of the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
Gaza's civil defence agency said one person was killed and around 20 wounded after Israeli warplanes struck a residential building in Gaza City's Al-Ramal district. According to Gaza's health ministry, more than 72,700 people have been killed in the territory since the conflict began.
Despite an October ceasefire in Gaza, violence has persisted, with both Israel and Hamas accusing each other of repeated violations. Palestinian authorities say at least 856 people have been killed since the truce took effect, while Israel says five of its soldiers have died during the same period.