In brief The ceasefire was set to expire on Sunday.A new "security track" of the negotiations would be launched at the Pentagon.Israel and Lebanon agreed to a 45-day extension of a ceasefire that has tamped down the conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, as two days of talks facilitated by the US concluded."The April 16 cessation of hostilities will be extended by 45 days to enable further progress," State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott wrote on X. The ceasefire was set to expire on Sunday.Pigott added that the talks aimed at settling decades of conflict between the two countries were "highly productive."The Lebanese and Israeli delegations issued positive statements about the talks, their third meeting since Israel intensified air attacks on Lebanon after Hezbollah fired missiles at Israel on 2 March, three days into the US-Israeli war with Iran. Israel's bombing campaign and ground invasion of Lebanon's south displaced about 1.2 million people, before US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire last month following initial talks between the two countries' ambassadors in the US.Hezbollah and Israel have ongoing clashes, mainly in southern Lebanon, where Israeli forces are occupying a self-declared security zone.'Frank and constructive'The US-led mediation between Lebanon and Israel has emerged in parallel to diplomacy aimed at ending the US-Iran conflict. Iran has ⁠said ending Israel's war in Lebanon is one of its demands for a deal over the wider conflict.Lebanon's delegation, which is attending despite objections from Hezbollah, has prioritised a cessation in hostilities in the talks. Israel says Hezbollah must be disarmed as part of any broader peace agreement with Lebanon.The Washington D.C. meetings, the highest-level contact between Lebanon and Israel in decades, have evolved to include security and military officials. Pigott said on X that a new "security track" of the negotiations would be launched at the Pentagon on 29 May, while the US State Department will convene the two sides again at the start of June for a political track of negotiations."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.Lebanon's delegation said in a statement that it wanted to turn the momentum from the ceasefire into a lasting peace agreement. "The extension of the ceasefire and the establishment of a U.S.-facilitated security track provide critical breathing space for our citizens, reinforce state institutions, and advance a political pathway toward lasting stability," the delegation said.Israeli ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, also described the talks as "frank and constructive.""There will be ups and downs, but the potential for success is great. What will be paramount throughout negotiations is the security of our citizens and our soldiers," Leiter said on X.For the latest from SBS News, download our app and subscribe to our newsletter.