Middle East War: Lebanon and Israel Extend Their 45

In the region of Tyre, in southern Lebanon, a photograph shows smoke rising from the site of Israeli airstrikes targeting villages in southern Lebanon on April 16, 2026. (Illustration) Credit: Kawnat HAJU / AFP

Lebanon and Israel will extend their ceasefire by 45 days, which was set to expire on Sunday, the US State Department announced on Friday, May 15, during a second day of talks between the two Middle East states in Washington. Despite the ceasefire that came into effect on April 17, the Israeli army continued to target pro-Iranian Hezbollah sites in Lebanon, resulting in at least 400 deaths, according to an AFP report based on official figures.

By attacking Israel, the Shiite movement has dragged Lebanon into the regional war following the start of the Israeli-American offensive against Iran on February 28. “The cessation of hostilities on April 16 [the date the agreement was reached] will be extended by 45 days to allow for further progress,” said US State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott.

Discussions in the US capital have been described as “productive and positive,” announced a senior US official on Thursday. Since the start of the war, at least 2,951 people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon, according to Lebanese authorities.

In its indirect negotiations with Washington, Iran demands that any ceasefire also include Lebanon – meaning that Israel must stop targeting Hezbollah.