Israel, Lebanon Agree Ceasefire Conditional on Hezbollah Halt, U.S. Talks Reveal

Israel and Lebanon have reached a conditional agreement for a ceasefire, contingent upon the complete halt of attacks by Hezbollah, according to a joint statement following U.S.-brokered negotiations in Washington. The agreement, reached after two days of talks, also outlines the creation of "pilot zones" that would be exclusively controlled by the Lebanese army.

This development follows a recent escalation of hostilities. On Wednesday, Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon reportedly killed at least 10 people. Concurrently, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for renewed rocket fire targeting Israel. In response, Israel threatened to strike the southern suburbs of Beirut if its territory came under attack.

Early Thursday morning, an alert was sounded in Kfar Yuval, a village in northern Israel, following the identification of a suspected hostile aircraft. The Israeli military confirmed the incident was over and reported no injuries, providing no further details.

The proposed ceasefire is heavily reliant on Hezbollah's compliance, a group that has reportedly rejected participation in these discussions. The agreement stipulates the "complete cessation of Hezbollah's firing" and the "evacuation" of all its members from areas south of the Litani River, approximately 30 kilometers from the Israeli border. The establishment of these Lebanese army-controlled zones aims to create a buffer and ensure non-state actors are excluded from the region.

This marks the fourth round of direct negotiations between delegations from Israel and Lebanon, countries that do not maintain diplomatic relations. While a ceasefire has technically been in place since April 17, it has been frequently violated. The recent intensification of fighting raises concerns about a potential wider escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, particularly as diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran appear stalled.