Israel and Lebanon Agree to Conditional US-Brokered Ceasefire

Israel and Lebanon have agreed to implement a ceasefire, but with conditions requiring Hezbollah to 'completely cease' its attacks, according to a joint statement following US-led talks in Washington, DC.

The two countries, which have no official diplomatic relations, also agreed to establish 'pilot zones' where the Lebanese armed forces 'will have exclusive control over the territory, excluding all non-state actors'.

However, the agreement comes amid ongoing cross-border attacks. Hezbollah claimed it targeted Israeli soldiers, while Israeli airstrikes killed at least 10 people in southern Lebanon.

Just hours after the deal was announced, air raid sirens sounded in northern Israel with a 'suspicious aerial target' identified, but no casualties were reported.

The joint statement stressed that the ceasefire is 'contingent on a complete cessation' of Hezbollah's attacks as well as the removal of the group's fighters from southern Lebanon.

Al Jazeera correspondent Manuel Rapalo from Washington, DC said: 'This is not an announcement of a brand new ceasefire; it is affirming respect for a ceasefire that had actually already been agreed upon in May, with a 45-day extension period for a previously existing ceasefire.'

He added: 'The fact that Hezbollah, as a group, is not part of this negotiation makes it an unknown and leaves unanswered questions about how any framework could be enforced.'

The Washington meetings were the fourth round of direct talks between Lebanese and Israeli diplomats since hostilities escalated on March 2, when Hezbollah resumed attacks on Israel in support of Iran, leading to heavy Israeli bombardment and a ground invasion into southern Lebanon.

The statement said both sides would meet again the week of June 22 'with the aim of reaching a comprehensive agreement'.

During the day, US President Donald Trump said he wanted to separate the talks on the conflict in Lebanon from the negotiations over the US-Israel war with Iran. However, Tehran insists the conflicts are linked, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned any attack on Beirut would trigger a 'comprehensive resurgence' of war.

Araghchi also said communication lines with the US remain open, but there has been 'no substantive progress' in negotiations to end the Middle East war. He said: 'Returning to the negotiating table depends on ensuring the rights of the Iranian people, ending the war in Lebanon and stopping regional tensions.'

The Israeli military said it intercepted a 'hostile aircraft' and two projectiles that crossed into Israeli territory from Lebanon. Hezbollah said that 'in response to the Israeli enemy army's violation of the ceasefire', its fighters targeted soldiers in northern Israel with a salvo of rockets.

Early on June 4, the Iran-backed group claimed it targeted Israeli soldiers and vehicles in the town of Qantara, southern Lebanon, and targeted an Israeli command post near Beaufort Castle with two drones.

A ceasefire meant to end the fighting in Lebanon took effect on April 17 but was never respected. Both sides justified their attacks by accusing the other of violations.

Among the Israeli attacks on Wednesday, one targeted a car on the main highway out of the capital Beirut, according to the Lebanese National News Agency (NNA). NNA also reported attacks on more than 20 locations in the south, some after the Israeli military issued evacuation orders to residents of certain villages.

Lebanon's Health Ministry said an Israeli attack on al-Hawsh near the city of Tyre killed four Syrians and two Palestinians. The ministry also said another airstrike targeted an ambulance, killing two paramedics from the Risala Scout Association, affiliated with the Amal movement, a Hezbollah ally.

A third paramedic was later reported killed in an attack targeting a medical team from the Hezbollah-affiliated Islamic Health Committee in the town of Zibdine. At least 130 emergency and medical personnel have been killed since March 2.

The Lebanese army said a soldier was also killed in an Israeli attack, while an officer and a soldier were wounded in a separate attack on a military vehicle. The force condemned what it called Israel's 'deliberate targeting of military personnel, vehicles and positions'.

Meanwhile, Israeli attacks on apartments in Gaza City overnight killed at least 9 people, including 4 children, according to sources at al-Shifa Hospital. Al Jazeera correspondent Ibrahim al-Khalili from Gaza said people were caught off guard as the attacks occurred without warning while many were asleep.

He said: 'According to initial reports, at least 9 Palestinians were killed in the airstrikes, and rescue teams rushed to the scene as a large fire broke out at one of the affected sites. Witnesses described chaos as a family, including children, women and the elderly, were trapped inside burning apartments.' He added that rescue teams struggled to reach those trapped, and medical staff said some survivors had suffered severe burns.