ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Israel and Lebanon have agreed to extend the ceasefire between them for another 45 days following talks in Washington, the US State Department announced Friday.

“On May 14 and 15, the United States hosted two days of highly-productive talks between Israel and Lebanon. The April 16 cessation of hostilities will be extended by 45 days to enable further progress,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott wrote on X.

The talks come amid continued Israeli military operations in Lebanon and growing criticism from Hezbollah and its parliamentary bloc, Wafaa, over the Lebanese government’s participation in direct negotiations with Israel.

“The State Department will reconvene the political track of negotiations on June 2 and June 3. In addition, a security track will be launched at the Pentagon on May 29 with military delegations from both countries,” Pigott added.

Israel has violated the ceasefire established on April 16 dozens of times, with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun insisting on April 29 that “Israel must realize once and for all that the only path to security is through negotiations, but it must first implement a complete ceasefire before moving to the negotiating phase.”

“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.

Israel started the war on Lebanon in parallel to the war on Iran. Attacks have continued since the two sides reached a ceasefire on April 16, although the attacks have been more concentrated on southern Lebanon since.