Israel and Lebanon Reach Ceasefire Deal Tied to Hezbollah's Halt in Attacks
The United States announced Wednesday that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a ceasefire, marking the most significant diplomatic step in months toward de-escalating a conflict that has killed thousands and displaced more than a million people along the border.
The State Department said in a statement that the deal is "contingent on a complete cessation" of attacks by the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, alongside the evacuation of all its operatives from the South Litani Sector — a strip of southern Lebanon between the Litani River and the Israeli border. The two countries are scheduled to meet again on June 22 to negotiate a broader agreement.
"All countries reaffirmed that the future of the relationship between Israel and Lebanon must be decided by the two sovereign governments. They rejected any attempt, by any state or non-state actor, to hold Lebanon's future hostage," the statement read.
The truce follows a partial ceasefire agreed on Monday, under which Israel pledged not to bomb Beirut in exchange for Hezbollah refraining from cross-border attacks. That arrangement has been tested repeatedly this week. On Wednesday, Israeli airstrikes killed at least nine people in southern Lebanon, including two paramedics whose ambulance was struck in the Chehour area, according to Lebanon's health ministry. Hezbollah, meanwhile, fired rockets into northern Israel, and the Israeli military said it intercepted a drone and two projectiles.
The broader war erupted on March 2 after Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel in retaliation for an Israeli strike that killed Iran's supreme leader. Israel responded with a sweeping air campaign and ground invasion. Since then, more than 3,500 people have been killed in Lebanon, according to its health ministry, while Israel reports 26 soldiers and four civilians dead on both sides of the border. The U.N. says over 1 million people in Lebanon are registered as displaced, with Israeli evacuation orders covering more than an eighth of the country.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters he hoped the talks in Washington would produce "an action plan on a track for security in [Lebanon], independent from Hezbollah." The group, a Shia political and military organization considered a terrorist entity by the U.S., U.K., and Israel, has not publicly commented on the latest deal.
The timing of the announcement is notable: U.S. President Donald Trump revealed earlier this week that he had urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop fighting in Lebanon, describing a phone call in which he told Netanyahu "we've got to stop this." Trump is concerned that further escalation could jeopardize a wider deal to end the war between the U.S., Israel, and Iran. Iran has warned that any regional ceasefire must include Lebanon, and its foreign minister said Wednesday that its armed forces were "fully prepared" to resume fighting if Israeli aggression continues.
But the conflict on the ground shows no immediate pause. On Wednesday, the Lebanese army said one soldier was killed and two others injured in separate Israeli strikes, which the army denounced as "a pattern of deliberate strikes targeting army personnel." A car was also hit in the Khaldeh area just south of Beirut — the closest strike to the capital since the partial ceasefire was announced. In northern Israel, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for a rocket barrage targeting Israeli troops, calling it a response to Israeli violations of the truce.
For civilians, the suffering continues. At Beirut's waterfront, thousands of displaced people live in tents with limited access to food, clean water, and bathrooms. Mariam Hessa, a 23-year-old student, told the BBC: "I don't think it's fair, because always the south is being bombed, and the houses are being damaged, destroyed, people are dying. I want the ceasefire to be for all Lebanon, not just for an area like Dahieh or even the south. We need this."
The impact of the agreement remains uncertain. Analysts say the deal hinges on Hezbollah's willingness to comply — a group that has repeatedly rejected the legitimacy of U.S.-brokered talks. Without a comprehensive solution that addresses the root causes of the conflict, including Iran's regional role and the deep-seated animosity between Israel and Hezbollah, the ceasefire may prove fragile. Still, the diplomatic breakthrough offers a rare glimmer of hope for a region scarred by years of war.