US State Department: Israel-Lebanon ceasefire period can be extended Israel reserves "right to self-defense"

On April 17, a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon came into effect at 17:00 on the 16th. The U.S. State Department issued a statement on the same day saying that the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire period could be extended and Israel reserves its right to "take all necessary self-defense measures" during the ceasefire period. The statement said that if substantial progress is made in the negotiations and Lebanon can effectively demonstrate its ability to exercise national sovereignty, the 10-day ceasefire period can be extended through joint consultation by both parties. The statement said that during the ceasefire, Israel will not launch any "offensive" military operations against Lebanon targets, but reserves the right to "take all necessary self-defense measures" at any time against planned, imminent or ongoing attacks. The Lebanon government will take practical measures to prevent Hezbollah and "illegal non-state armed groups" in Lebanon from launching attacks on Israeli targets. (Xinhua Agency)