The precarious ceasefire in the war between Israel and the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia in Lebanon is to be extended by 45 days, according to the US State Department - even as Israeli jets launched new strikes on militia targets.
With the US acting as mediator, representatives from Israel and Lebanon are to continue working towards a resolution of the conflict during this period, department spokesman Tommy Pigott wrote on X on Friday evening.
However, the current ceasefire has been repeatedly violated by both sides in recent weeks, with six reported dead in Lebanon as recently as Friday evening.
Israel is currently negotiating with the Lebanese government, which is not itself a party to the conflict.
Hezbollah rejects any talks and is not participating. Observers assume, however, that the militia is being kept informed of the progress of the negotiations.
The extension of the ceasefire – which was already extended once at the end of April – by a further 45 days was announced following a third round of talks between Israeli and Lebanese government officials in Washington.
"The peace talks were frank and constructive, and are set to move forward on two tracks: security and political," the Israeli ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, wrote on X. "There will be ups and downs, but the potential for success is great."
Lebanese delegation welcome 'breathing space'
The Lebanese negotiators also expressed optimism. "The extension of the ceasefire and the establishment of a U.S.-facilitated security track provide critical breathing space for our citizens, reinforce state institutions, and advance a political pathway toward lasting stability," the news website Naharnet quoted the delegation as saying in a statement.
Representatives of the Israeli and Lebanese governments are now set to meet on June 2 and 3 for a new round of negotiations. Prior to this, a military dialogue between delegations from both countries is scheduled to take place at the Pentagon on May 29.
Renewed attacks on Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon
According to Lebanese sources, six people - including three paramedics - were killed in an attack in the south of the country believed to have been carried out by the Israeli armed forces.
Hours after the announcement of the extended ceasefire, Israeli airstrikes were carried out on Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, an Israeli military spokesman said on Saturday.
Earlier, the military had urged the population of several towns in the area to leave their homes and seek safety due to the impending military action. Israel said the attacks were justified on the grounds of Hezbollah's violations of the existing ceasefire.
Following the outbreak of the Iran war, Hezbollah – which had long operated in Lebanon as a state within a state – resumed firing rockets and drones at northern Israel out of solidarity with the Iranian authorities.
The Israeli armed forces subsequently attacked militia positions in southern Lebanon and Hezbollah strongholds in the suburbs of the capital, Beirut.
Lebanese government to deter Hezbollah from carrying out attacks
According to the original agreement, the Lebanese government, with international assistance, is to prevent Hezbollah from carrying out attacks on Israeli targets from within Lebanon.
Israel is therefore to refrain from "offensive military operations" in Lebanon, but is to be permitted to defend itself against planned, imminent or ongoing attacks.
Since the renewed outbreak of fighting in early March, around 2,900 people have been killed in Lebanon according to official figures, including numerous women and nearly 200 children.
Suspected militia commander in US custody
Meanwhile, a suspected leader of the pro-Iranian Kataib Hezbollah militia has been captured in Iraq and taken to the United States.
Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi ordered and planned a series of attacks in the US and Europe, the US Department of Justice said. It remained unclear at first where and when the 32-year-old was arrested.
Kataib Hezbollah is one of the strongest and most influential militias in Iraq. The US classifies the group as a foreign terrorist organization. Al-Saadi is also said to have maintained close ties to Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
