Israel and Lebanon Agree to Conditional Ceasefire Amid Continued Border Violence

Israel and Lebanon reached an agreement on Wednesday to implement a ceasefire, though the deal is strictly contingent upon a “complete cessation” of fire by the Iran-backed Hezbollah, according to a joint statement following US-led negotiations in Washington.

Despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties, the two nations agreed to establish “pilot zones” where the Lebanese armed forces will maintain exclusive territorial control, excluding all non-state actors.

This diplomatic breakthrough occurred alongside ongoing cross-border hostilities. Hezbollah reported targeting Israeli troops, while Israeli strikes resulted in at least nine deaths in southern Lebanon.

The joint statement clarified that the ceasefire remains dependent on Hezbollah’s full cessation of hostilities and the evacuation of the group’s operatives from southern Lebanon. These Washington meetings mark the fourth round of direct diplomatic talks since fighting intensified on March 2, following Hezbollah’s renewed attacks in support of Iran.

Representatives from both sides are scheduled to reconvene during the week of June 22 to work toward a comprehensive final agreement.

US President Donald Trump expressed a desire to decouple the Lebanese conflict from broader tensions with Iran. However, Tehran maintains that the conflicts are inextricably linked, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warning that any attack on Beirut would trigger a full-scale resumption of war.

The Israeli military reported intercepting a “hostile aircraft” and two projectiles entering Israeli territory from Lebanon on Wednesday. Simultaneously, Hezbollah claimed its fighters launched a rocket barrage against soldiers in northern Israel, citing Israeli violations of the ceasefire.

While a truce was originally intended to take effect on April 17, it was never successfully observed, as both parties continued attacks by accusing the other of violations. Senior Hezbollah official Mahmud Qomati recently stated that the group would not accept a partial ceasefire.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported an Israeli strike on a vehicle on the main highway leading out of the capital, along with strikes on over 20 southern locations, some following evacuation warnings issued by the Israeli military.

The Lebanese health ministry reported that an attack on Al-Hawsh near Tyre killed four Syrians and two Palestinians; however, an Israeli military spokesperson denied knowledge of such an attack in that area. The ministry also reported that an Israeli strike targeted an ambulance, killing two paramedics from the Risala Scouts Association, an organization affiliated with the Amal movement.

Since the onset of the fighting, at least 130 emergency and health workers have been killed. The Lebanese army also confirmed the death of one soldier and injuries to an officer and another soldier in a separate attack on a military vehicle, denouncing the “deliberate targeting” of army personnel and positions.

On Tuesday, the Israeli military alleged that Hezbollah operatives were active in Tyre’s Christian quarter, warning that evacuations would be advised if the group remained. While an AFP correspondent reported a relatively calm atmosphere in Tyre on Wednesday morning, some residents who had been camping on the edge of the Christian quarter have relocated.

A petition urging for Tyre to be declared an “open city”—free of armed presence and under the deployment of the Lebanese military—has gathered over 180 signatures from local intellectuals and lawyers. Some signatories have faced social media harassment due to Hezbollah’s strong presence in the city. Similarly, over 200 people have signed a petition for the city of Nabatieh, which has also been targeted by Israeli strikes.

Israel has recently escalated its military operations, conducting its deepest ground offensive into Lebanese territory in two decades.

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