Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 45-day extension of the ceasefire US President Donald Trump announced last month, the US State Department said on Friday.
The two countries also agreed to expand military-to-military communication and co-ordination through a new effort being overseen by the Pentagon.
The State Department described the Israel-Lebanon talks – held in Washington on Thursday and Friday – as “highly productive” and said the countries would reconvene negotiations on June 2 and June 3.
“The April 16 cessation of hostilities will be extended by 45 days to enable further progress,” State Department spokesman Tommy Piggott said on X.
It was the third round of talks in Washington since Israel intensified air attacks on Lebanon after Hezbollah fired missiles at Israel on March 2, three days into the US-Israeli war on Iran. Israel had widened its ground invasion into Lebanon's south last month.
Mr Pigott said that in addition to the diplomatic effort, a parallel track will be launched at the Pentagon on May 29 with military delegations from both countries.
"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," he said.
In a statement, Lebanon's embassy in Washington said the talks had yielded "meaningful diplomatic progress" for Lebanon.
The ceasefire extension would allow a "US-facilitated security track to commence on May 29 and to consolidate the political momentum achieved in recent days."
The statement said the two countries were committed to reviewing progress with the objective of extending the ceasefire further.
"The extension of the ceasefire and the establishment of a US-facilitated security track provide critical breathing space for our citizens, reinforce state institutions, and advance a political pathway toward lasting stability," the statement read.
"Our objective is to transform the current ceasefire momentum into a comprehensive and lasting agreement that safeguards the dignity, security, and future of the Lebanese people," the statement read.
It continued that Lebanon seeks full restoration of state authority and border security under the Lebanese Armed Forces, the safe return of displaced civilians, reconstruction support, the release of detainees and recovery of remains, and a phased, independently verified implementation mechanism backed by the US.
The Israeli embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the talks.
Despite the truce, Israel has repeatedly struck Hezbollah and the Iran-backed militants have attacked Israeli troops.
At least 380 people have been killed by Israeli attacks, mainly in southern Lebanon, since the ceasefire took effect, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry.
In a statement, the State Department said the US "remains cognisant of the challenges posed by Hezbollah’s continued attacks on Israel, without the consent or approval of the government of Lebanon, undertaken in order to derail this process."
