Israel and Lebanon Agree to Extend Ceasefire Amidst Continued Airstrikes

AI Summary (NQ-processed)

Israel and Lebanon have agreed to extend a ceasefire by 45 days and expand negotiations for a political solution. Despite this, the Israeli military launched a new wave of airstrikes on Lebanon, asserting that these attacks are not bound by the ceasefire agreement. Mediators met in Washington D.C. on May 14th to discuss peace, leading to the extension of the ceasefire, originally set to expire on May 16th. The U.S. State Department announced the 45-day extension and plans for talks on a permanent political agreement on June 2nd-3rd, with the Pentagon convening military representatives on May 29th. Shortly after the ceasefire extension announcement, an attack on a Hezbollah-affiliated Islamic Health Committee center near Hanuf in southern Lebanon killed six people, including three medical personnel. Israel also conducted airstrikes on the southern Lebanese city of Tyre after issuing evacuation warnings. Hezbollah claimed to have used drones to attack military camps in northern Israel. The Israeli military reported one soldier killed in southern Lebanon, bringing the total Israeli military deaths in the conflict to 19 since early March, along with one civilian contractor. In the past week, Israeli forces have killed over 220 Hezbollah militants and attacked hundreds of targets.