Arabic version: إسرائيل ولبنان يتوصلان إلى اتفاق لوقف إطلاق النار المشروط

Israel and Lebanon have agreed to implement a ceasefire but say it would require a “complete cessation” of fire by Hezbollah, according to a joint statement after US-led talks in Washington, DC. According to Al Jazeera, the agreement stipulates a complete cessation of fire by Hezbollah, alongside the removal of the group’s operatives from southern Lebanon.

The joint statement also announced the creation of “pilot zones” where the Lebanese armed forces will take exclusive control of the territory to the exclusion of all non-state actors. This agreement comes despite ongoing cross-border attacks, with Hezbollah claiming to have targeted Israeli soldiers and Israeli airstrikes reportedly killing at least 10 people in southern Lebanon.

The ceasefire is described as a reaffirmation of a previous agreement made in May, which was a 45-day extension to an already existing ceasefire. However, the absence of Hezbollah representatives in the negotiations raises concerns about the implementation of the ceasefire framework.

Further talks are scheduled for the week of June 22, with both sides expressing intentions to reach a comprehensive agreement. Meanwhile, regional tensions continue as Iran warns that any attack on Beirut could escalate into a larger conflict.