Two U.S. officials stated on Friday that Israel and Hezbollah had agreed to a renewed ceasefire in Lebanon, although clashes continued after the ceasefire was supposed to take effect. Hezbollah sources indicated that the group would observe the ceasefire, while a spokesperson for Israel's military did not confirm participation.
The ongoing conflict has resulted in the displacement of over one million people, and Israel continues to occupy a portion of southern Lebanon. The U.S.-Iran agreement includes a ceasefire in Lebanon, but Israeli officials have expressed skepticism regarding the commitment to such a truce. Political allies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have criticized the deal.
A senior U.S. official mentioned that the ceasefire was mediated by the U.S. and Qatar, coming into effect at 4 PM local time (9 AM ET). However, shortly after the ceasefire was announced, the Israeli military conducted strikes in southern Lebanon, and Hezbollah launched drones towards northern Israel.
While the U.S. official claimed Netanyahu approved the ceasefire, Netanyahu's office has not confirmed this. The military spokesperson stated that the ceasefire is a political matter and emphasized that Israeli forces would remain active in southern Lebanon.
On Thursday afternoon, President Trump, the speaker of Lebanon's parliament, and the Israeli ambassador to Lebanon expressed their commitment to the ceasefire. However, later that night, Hezbollah attacked Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, resulting in the deaths of at least four Israeli soldiers, prompting Israel to retaliate with strikes on Hezbollah targets. This escalation led to the postponement of planned U.S.-Iran talks in Switzerland, with an Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson confirming that conditions for negotiations had not been met.