Current sectionMiddle East NewsLebanon News Analysis Lebanon, which seeks an agreement ending the decades-long state of war with Israel, will struggle to make progress in talks without Jerusalem's commitment to withdraw from the south of the countryShare to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeZvi Bar'el03:05 PM • May 17 2026 IDTThe 45-day extension of the Israeli-Lebanese cease-fire responds to Beirut's condition for continuing the political-military talks but doesn't guarantee a solution to the underlying problems. It amounts to a prolonging of the war under Donald Trump's restrictions: Israel is barred from bombing Beirut and the Bekaa Valley but remains free to strike Hezbollah in the south, raze villages, displace residents and hunker down as a garrison force in an ever-expanding "security zone."Loading...Click the alert icon to follow topics:LebanonHezbollahIran2026 Israel-Iran WarCommentsLoading...In the NewsIn the News: Israel-Iran Live UpdatesHamasIsrael ElectionsLebanonNoam BettanSettler ViolenceHaQuizHaaretz PodcastIsrael and Hezbollah Trade Fire Across Border Despite Cease-fire ExtensionIsrael's Education Minister Sought to Bury Students' Poor English Test ScoresBill Banning Egalitarian Prayer at Western Wall Advances to Knesset CommitteeDrone Strike Causes Fire at UAE Nuclear Power Plant; Radiation Levels NormalBeirut Fears Israel Eyeing 'Gaza Model' for Lebanon as Iran Undermines ProgressRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIThe Hasidic Jews Behind Florida's Giant Golden Trump StatueStarlink Users, Beware – Israeli Tech Can Reveal Your IdentityIt Wasn't Just Revenge That Israel Was After in GazaWelcome to the Most Shameful Day in the Jewish CalendarIsraeli Teens Storm Muslim Quarter in Old City, Haaretz Reporter AttackedIsrael Attacks New York Times for Report on Sexual Violence by Israeli Forces