Delegations from the US, Israel, and Lebanon met in Washington to implement a new ceasefire, as announced by the Trump administration. The agreement aims to end hostilities between Israel and Lebanon, contingent on a complete cessation of fire from the Iran-aligned Hezbollah militia and the evacuation of all its operatives from southern Lebanon, according to a joint statement from the US State Department.
Ceasefire Details and Reactions
The two sides, which do not have formal diplomatic relations, also agreed to create "pilot zones" where the Lebanese armed forces will take exclusive control of the territory, excluding all non-state actors. A Hezbollah official told AFP that the group would not accept a partial ceasefire, and the group has not been party to the talks.
A truce to halt fighting in Lebanon was meant to take hold on 17 April, but hostilities continued, with both sides justifying ongoing attacks by alleging violations by the other. The Washington meetings were the fourth round of direct talks since fighting erupted on 2 March, when Hezbollah renewed attacks against Israel in support of Iran.
Cross-Border Attacks Continue
Wednesday's development came after continued cross-border attacks earlier in the day. Hezbollah said it targeted Israeli troops, while Israeli strikes killed at least nine people in southern Lebanon. Earlier, US President Donald Trump said he wanted to separate talks on the conflict in Lebanon from those on the war with Iran. However, Tehran insists the conflicts are linked and this week threatened to suspend peace talks with the US in protest against Israel's offensive in Lebanon.
Trump said on Monday that he had stopped an imminent Israeli strike on Beirut and had spoken to Netanyahu and representatives of Hezbollah who agreed that "all shooting will stop." Trump confirmed reports that he had described Netanyahu as "crazy," saying he was perturbed that Israel's campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon was complicating US-led peace talks with Iran.
Analysts Weigh In
According to analysts, Israel wants to inflict as much damage as possible on Hezbollah before a potential peace deal with Iran stops its offensive. Netanyahu told CNBC that he and Trump are aligned on disarming Hezbollah to achieve peace between Israel and Lebanon. The US president is under pressure to resolve the Iran war as higher energy prices and economic uncertainty threaten Republican prospects in the midterm elections.
US House Rebuke
On Wednesday, the US House of Representatives delivered a stunning rebuke to Trump, backing a move to force him to seek approval from Congress for the war or withdraw US forces. The vote's impact is largely symbolic, as it is unclear whether the resolution carries the force of law even if it passes the Senate.
Among the Israeli strikes on Wednesday was one near the public hospital in Tebnine, days after strikes near hospitals in Tyre. The attack near Jabal Amel on Monday killed four people and injured 127, most of whom were medical staff. The state-run National News Agency reported strikes on more than 20 locations in the south, some after Israel's military warned residents to evacuate.
Regional Escalation
The Lebanese health ministry said an Israeli strike targeted an ambulance, killing two paramedics from the Risala Scouts Association, affiliated with Hezbollah's ally the Amal movement. Elsewhere on Wednesday, Iran struck Kuwait, killing one person, damaging its airport, and injuring dozens, while the US military carried out strikes near the Strait of Hormuz. The attacks on Kuwait and in the strait are the latest to test a shaky ceasefire between the US, Israel, and Iran, sending oil prices up nearly 2% as the strait remains largely closed more than three months after the war was launched.
Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards denied firing at Kuwait's airport and blamed destruction on US interceptor missiles, according to Iranian state media. The US military said that was not accurate and that Iranian drones targeted the airport deliberately.
