On May 14 and 15, the United States facilitated two days of constructive talks between the State of Israel and the Republic of Lebanon at the Department of State. The two countries agreed upon a framework for negotiations to 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.
Over the two days, significant progress was made on the political track which will reconvene on June 2 and June 3 to continue those political conversations.
The security track will be launched at the Pentagon on May 29, with military delegations from both countries. To that end, the parties have agreed to a 45-day extension of the April 16 cessation of hostilities agreement to allow the security track to meaningfully improve the communication and coordination between Israel and Lebanon, facilitated by the United States.
The United States remains cognizant of the challenges posed by Hizballah’s continued attacks on Israel, without the consent or approval of the Government of Lebanon, undertaken in order to derail this process. The United States welcomes the commitment of both governments to finding a long-term solution despite these ongoing challenges. The United States will continue to support both countries as they move forward on these two tracks.
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