Recent US-brokered talks produced a 45-day ceasefire extension announced May 15, 2026, allowing continued direct negotiations in Washington focused on border security, Hezbollah disarmament, and Lebanese state sovereignty south of the Litani River. Israeli officials seek lasting security guarantees and have signaled openness to broader arrangements, while Lebanese representatives emphasize implementation of prior understandings and have described full diplomatic normalization as distant and contingent on regional developments. These steps mark the first sustained bilateral diplomatic channel in decades yet remain centered on conflict management rather than immediate recognition or economic ties. Ongoing violations and internal Lebanese political divisions continue to limit rapid progress toward the higher threshold of normalized relations before 2027.