Hezbollah Responds to Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire Terms

<p>Israel and Lebanon have agreed to implement a full ceasefire, contingent on Hezbollah halting attacks and withdrawing its operatives from the area south of the Litani River in Lebanon, according to a joint statement from the U.S., Israel, and Lebanon.</p><p>Hezbollah had previously indicated it would agree to a full ceasefire, but it remains unclear if the group will accept the terms set by the Israeli and Lebanese governments.</p><p>A full ceasefire in Lebanon is a key demand from Iranian officials as part of their negotiations with the U.S. regarding an agreement to end the conflict.</p><p>On Monday, President Donald Trump intervened in Israel's plans to conduct extensive strikes on Beirut in response to Hezbollah's drone and missile attacks. Following a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump announced a new partial ceasefire in Lebanon, which includes an Israeli commitment not to attack Beirut in exchange for Hezbollah ceasing attacks on Israeli border towns.</p><p>Despite this announcement, Hezbollah has conducted several drone attacks against targets within Israel over the past 48 hours.</p><p>The agreement between Israeli and Lebanese officials was reached after two days of negotiations at the U.S. State Department, mediated by Trump administration officials. The two sides agreed to establish "pilot zones" in southern Lebanon, where the Lebanese Armed Forces will take exclusive control to ensure there is no Hezbollah presence, while the Israel Defense Forces will withdraw from the area.</p><p>The joint statement emphasized that the future relationship between Israel and Lebanon must be determined by the two sovereign governments, rejecting any attempts by external actors to influence Lebanon's future.</p><p>Israel and Lebanon reaffirmed their lack of hostile intent toward each other and committed to continuing direct negotiations to build confidence and resolve outstanding issues, working toward a comprehensive agreement. Another round of negotiations is scheduled for June 22 in Washington, D.C.</p>