Lead:
A fragile but notable quiet settled over southern Lebanon in the hours following the entry into force of a ceasefire arrangement, as diplomatic activity accelerated simultaneously on three fronts: Lebanon-Israel negotiations in Washington, Iran-United States talks in Geneva, and internal Lebanese consultations in Beirut. The convergence of these tracks has raised cautious hopes that a durable end to hostilities may be within reach, though deep disagreements over the terms of an Israeli withdrawal and the role of Hezbollah's arms remain unresolved.
Details:
According to Al-Markazia, a "cautious calm" prevailed across southern Lebanon following the ceasefire's entry into force, with displaced residents and local populations watching developments closely before committing to a return. The Lebanese Army simultaneously announced the continued defusing of unexploded Israeli ordnance — including one-thousand and two-thousand pound bombs — and urged residents to exercise restraint before attempting to return to their villages.
On the diplomatic front, Al-Markazia and Al-Diyar report that Lebanon is preparing for a fifth round of direct Lebanese-Israeli negotiations in Washington, scheduled for June 23, operating on two parallel tracks: a security annex and a political declaration of intent. A Lebanese source familiar with the negotiations, cited by LBCI, indicated that Lebanon could leverage American pressure on Israel to achieve a trilateral understanding on resolving outstanding bilateral issues. Separately, Al-Diyar sources revealed a near-consensus between Washington and Beirut to keep the file of Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory outside the Geneva process, reserving it exclusively for the Washington track.
In Geneva, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that the first round of Iran-United States talks produced "significant progress," with Pakistani and Qatari mediation credited for facilitating the breakthrough. Iranian state media noted that discussions focused on Lebanon rather than Iran's nuclear program, with Tehran insisting that a halt to hostilities in Lebanon is a precondition for any broader agreement. The Israeli Broadcasting Authority, known as Kan, and Haaretz both reported that Israel intends to begin a partial drawdown of its forces in southern Lebanon in the coming days, under American pressure and in anticipation of Lebanese Army deployment — though Israeli officials denied any formal American request to withdraw.
President Joseph Aoun held telephone calls with United States Vice President JD Vance, senior adviser Jared Kushner, and the Prime Minister of Qatar, discussing mechanisms to consolidate the ceasefire. Aoun separately told a visiting delegation that Lebanon welcomes international assistance to end the war, but insisted that the Lebanese state alone holds the authority to negotiate and protect all citizens. Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem warned that the resistance would respond to any Israeli violation, while the party's parliamentary bloc condemned direct negotiations with Israel as an infringement on Lebanese sovereignty.
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