Lebanon, Israel Agree to Implement Ceasefire Deal Under Conditions, Says U.S.

Darwin, June 04: The United States Department of State has announced that and have agreed to implement a ceasefire arrangement, although its enforcement remains conditional on several key requirements.

In an official statement, Washington said one of the primary conditions for the agreement to take effect is the complete halt of attacks against Israel by the Iran-backed armed group .

The announcement comes after a fragile ceasefire reached between the two sides in April faced growing strain. On Wednesday, Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon reportedly killed at least nine people, while Hezbollah responded with rocket attacks toward northern Israel, placing the earlier truce under serious pressure.

The U.S. statement emphasized that the future of relations between Lebanon and Israel must be determined solely by their sovereign governments. It also rejected any attempt by state or non-state actors to hold Lebanon’s future hostage.

Another major condition of the proposed ceasefire requires the withdrawal of all Hezbollah members and operatives from areas between the and the Israeli border in southern Lebanon.

Washington further stated that the United States would support the establishment of several “pilot zones” in Lebanon. These areas would remain free of armed groups, with exclusive authority placed under the control of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF).

The latest announcement follows a partial ceasefire reportedly reached earlier this week, under which Lebanon said Hezbollah would refrain from launching attacks on Israel in exchange for Israel halting airstrikes on Beirut.

A new round of talks aimed at securing a comprehensive agreement is scheduled for June 22. However, Hezbollah has yet to publicly comment on the newly announced ceasefire.

Before the formal announcement, U.S. Secretary of State expressed optimism that the negotiations could help create a roadmap for an independent and secure Lebanon free from Hezbollah’s influence.

Tensions escalated this week after both sides exchanged attacks. According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, an Israeli strike in the Chehour area of southern Lebanon damaged an ambulance and killed two paramedics. Another strike reportedly targeted a civilian vehicle south of Beirut.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military said it intercepted a drone and two rockets crossing the border, while Hezbollah claimed responsibility, saying it had targeted a gathering of Israeli troops.

Ahead of Wednesday’s announcement, Israeli officials warned that if Hezbollah resumed attacks near northern Israel, the military could restart airstrikes in Beirut’s southern suburb of Dahiyeh, widely regarded as a Hezbollah stronghold.

Earlier, Hezbollah political council member told the BBC that no formal ceasefire agreement had been reached, describing the arrangement instead as an understanding aimed at protecting the Dahiyeh area. He also stated that Hezbollah is not obligated to abide by decisions made in ongoing Lebanon-Israel talks in Washington.