Israel, Lebanon to extend ceasefire for 45 days

Israel and Lebanon have officially agreed to extend their ongoing ceasefire for an additional 45 days, aiming to build on recent negotiations in Washington and foster a permanent political and security agreement.

The 45-day extension was announced by the U.S. State Department on Friday, pushing the truce beyond its original expiration date. The Lebanese and Israeli delegations issued positive statements about the talks, their third meeting since Israel intensified air attacks on Lebanon after Hezbollah fired missiles at Israel on March 2.