Israel And Lebanon Agree Ceasefire, Hezbollah Must Stop Attacks And Withdraw From South Lebanon

Israel and Lebanon agreed to implement a ceasefire that would require a “complete cessation” of fire by Hezbollah, according to a joint statement after US-led talks in Washington, DC.

The statement also said the two sides would create “pilot zones”, in which the Lebanese armed forces “will take exclusive control of the territory to the exclusion of all non-state actors”.

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The development came despite continued cross-border attacks earlier in the day as Hezbollah said it targeted Israeli soldiers and Israeli strikes killed at least 10 people in southern Lebanon.

Al Jazeera’s Manuel Rapalo said from Washington, DC that “This is not the announcement of a brand-new ceasefire; this is asserting respect for a ceasefire that was actually agreed just last month in May”.

The ceasefire framework was described as contingent on Hezbollah’s fire stopping and the removal of the group’s operatives from southern Lebanon, with both sides set to meet again the week of June 22 to reach a comprehensive agreement.

Hezbollah’s official response was pending after an AFP report said a Hezbollah official told the agency on Thursday that the group had informed Lebanese authorities that it had rejected the ceasefire.

The official said the position, announced by Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem in a televised message, was passed on Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally acting as an intermediary who “shares this position”.

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In Israel, the security cabinet debate reflected the same uncertainty, with Netanyahu telling ministers that “At the moment there is no agreement,” because “Hezbollah opposes it”.

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem condemned the proposed agreement in a speech, saying “The result of the direct negotiations, which are humiliating and disgraceful, is rejected by broad segments of the Lebanese people,” and adding that Hezbollah would not agree while Israeli forces remain inside Lebanon.

The BBC reported that Hezbollah told it it would comment officially in due course, while also describing the agreement as contingent on the evacuation of all Hezbollah operatives from an area between the Israeli border and the Litani river, about 30km (19 miles) to the north.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the army would begin deploying in “pilot zones” in the country’s south “as a first phase”, while also saying the move “does not prejudice our right to a full [Israeli] withdrawal”.

“Israel and Lebanon have agreed to implement a ceasefire that would require a “complete cessation” of fire by Hezbollah, according to a joint statement after US-led talks in Washington, DC”

Al Jazeera

Civil Defence authorities in Lebanon asked people not to return south despite the ceasefire announcement, citing ongoing dangers and the risk of unexploded ordnance in towns and villages.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israel’s military will continue operations in Lebanon for the time being and will not be withdrawing, and he said hundreds of thousands of Lebanese residents forced from their homes in the south would also not be allowed to return.

The BBC added that the agreement did not include maps to indicate where the pilot zones would be located, or any explanation of how they might work in practice.

With the ceasefire described as fragile and contingent, the joint statement said both sides will meet for more talks the week of June 22, “with a view towards reaching a comprehensive agreement”.