Israel and Lebanon on Wednesday agreed to a new ceasefire following talks mediated by the United States. Under the agreement, Hezbollah is to stop all attacks on Israel and withdraw its fighters from the area south of the Litani River in southern Lebanon. In a joint statement, the US, Israel and Lebanon said “the ceasefire is contingent on a complete cessation of Hezbollah fire and the evacuation of all Hezbollah operatives from the South Litani Sector.” Israel and Lebanon agreed with US guidance “to swiftly advance the creation of pilot zones” in which the Lebanese army “will take exclusive control of the territory to the exclusion of all non-state actors.” “These steps will enable progress towards a comprehensive peace and security agreement,” the statement said, adding that both sides “rejected any attempt, by any state or non-state actor, to hold Lebanon’s future hostage.” Hezbollah has yet to comment on the ceasefire. Before it was announced, the group said it had conducted two drone and rocket attacks on Israeli troops inside Lebanon that it said took place just after midnight local time on Wednesday. In their statement, “Israel and Lebanon reaffirmed that they have no hostile intent toward one another and committed to continuing direct negotiations to build confidence, resolve all outstanding issues, and work toward a comprehensive agreement between the two countries.” The US reaffirmed that any agreement to cease hostilities must be reached directly between the two governments, brokered by Washington, and not through any separate track. As for Israel, it said that its security and respect for its territorial integrity can only be achieved through Hezbollah’s disarmament and the dismantlement of its infrastructure across Lebanon. In the statement, “Lebanon reaffirmed the necessity for mutual respect of internationally recognized borders, the urgent need for full implementation of the cessation of hostilities, underscoring the principles of territorial integrity and full state sovereignty.” It stressed commitment to enhancing the capacity of the Lebanese army, with US support, to assert effective control across the country.
