Israel and Lebanon agree to implement ceasefire if Hezbollah stops attacks
BBC • • nation
Key Points:
- Israel and Lebanon have agreed to implement a ceasefire, contingent on a complete halt to attacks from Hezbollah and the evacuation of Hezbollah operatives from southern Lebanon, according to the US State Department.
- The US will assist in creating pilot zones where the Lebanese Armed Forces will have exclusive control, excluding all non-state actors like Hezbollah, aiming to stabilize the region.
- The ceasefire follows recent violence including Israeli strikes killing at least nine people in southern Lebanon and Hezbollah rocket attacks on northern Israel, testing a partial truce agreed in April.
- Hezbollah has yet to publicly endorse the ceasefire, with some leaders rejecting the negotiations, while Israel warned it would resume strikes if cross-border attacks continued.
- The conflict has caused significant casualties and displacement, with over 3,500 killed in Lebanon and more than one million displaced, amid ongoing hostilities and accusations of targeting medical personnel.