It seems for Middle East peace is elusive as the region continuously sees conflict. This time the conflict has risen between Israel and Lebanon. The conflict started on March 2 when Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel.
Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 45-day extension of their ceasefire after another round of talks in Washington, the US State Department said Friday.
It comes after two “productive” days of talks, and will be followed by more negotiations June 2-3, State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said. A shaky truce between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon had been due to end on Sunday.
“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,” Pigott said on social media.
This week’s talks were the sides’ third meeting 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.
However, at least six people were killed, including three paramedics, and 22 were wounded in an Israeli strike on a civil defence centre in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese state news agency said early Saturday.
Fought in parallel to the US-Iran conflict, Israel’s war in Lebanon has rumbled on since US President Donald Trump declared a ceasefire on April 16, though hostilities have largely been contained to southern Lebanon since then.
At least 59 children were reportedly killed or injured in Lebanon over the past week despite an ongoing ceasefire, UNICEF said, warning of escalating physical and psychological suffering among children caught in the conflict.
According to Lebanon’s health ministry, at least 23 children have been killed and 93 injured since the ceasefire took effect between 16 and 17 April. Since 2 March, the total child toll has risen to 200 dead and 806 injured.
The warning came as Israeli strikes intensified across southern and central Lebanon on Wednesday, killing at least 33 people, including women and children, according to Lebanon’s Public Health Emergency Operations Center and local media reports.
“Children are being killed and injured when they should be returning to classrooms, playing with friends, and recovering from months of fear and upheaval,” said Edouard Beigbeder.
Meanwhile, United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said a series of drone explosions near and inside its positions in southern Lebanon endangered peacekeepers and damaged UN infrastructure.
Since March 2, Israeli attacks have killed more than 2,900 people in Lebanon, including more than 400 since the truce took effect, according to Lebanese authorities.
