Lebanon is seeking to extend its ceasefire with Israel by one month during renewed talks in Washington, officials confirmed on Thursday, April 23, 2026.
The Lebanese government will request a prolongation of the ten-day truce that began on April 17, aiming to halt ongoing Israeli military operations in southern and eastern Lebanon. Despite the ceasefire, Israeli strikes killed three people in Lebanon on Wednesday, including journalist Amal Khalil in the al-Tiri area, where she worked for Al-Akhbar newspaper.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said ahead of the talks that there are “no serious disagreements” with Lebanon, urging cooperation against Hezbollah, which he described as an Iranian-backed terrorist group operating on Lebanese territory. He reiterated that Hezbollah remains the primary obstacle to peace and normalization between the two countries.
The discussions, hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, bring together Israeli ambassador Yechiel Leiter and Lebanese ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad, with U.S. Ambassadors to both nations too in attendance. This marks the second round of ambassador-level talks since April 14, the first such meeting between the two countries since 1993.
Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun confirmed that contacts are underway to extend the ceasefire, emphasizing that the ultimate goal of future negotiations is the complete cessation of Israeli aggression and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese soil.
The current truce was announced following the April 14 talks, after Hezbollah launched cross-border fire into Israel on March 2, triggering a conflict that has resulted in over 2,400 deaths and displaced more than one million people in Lebanon, according to officials.
Even as Israel maintains its campaign against Hezbollah infrastructure, Lebanon insists on strict adherence to the ceasefire, including an complete to Israeli demolition and detonation operations in areas where its forces are present.
