Israel and Lebanon Agree to Ceasefire Under Certain Conditions

Washington D.C. Israel and Lebanon have agreed to implement a ceasefire. According to a statement issued by the US State Department, this agreement is based on the condition that Iran-backed Hezbollah will completely stop all its attacks. 

This announcement came a few hours after at least nine people were killed in Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon and Hezbollah fired rockets towards northern Israel. These incidents had once again challenged the ceasefire that took place in April.

The statement mentioned that the future of relations between Israel and Lebanon should be determined by both sovereign governments, and any attempt by any state or non-state actor to hold Lebanon's future hostage is unacceptable. According to the agreement, all Hezbollah members must withdraw from the southern Lebanon region controlled by Israel. This region extends from the Litani River to the Israeli border.

The United States has also stated that it will help establish a special pilot area to be controlled only by the Lebanese army. It has been stated that no non-state armed group will be allowed to operate in these areas. Earlier on Monday, a partial ceasefire took place. According to Lebanon, under that agreement, Israel would not bomb the capital Beirut and in return, Hezbollah would not attack Israel.

Both countries have also agreed to hold further talks on June 22 and explore the possibility of a comprehensive and long-term agreement. However, Hezbollah has not yet formally responded to the new announcement. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has expressed hope that the talks will create an action plan leading to a security arrangement independent of Hezbollah's influence.

Attacks from both sides continued even during the ceasefire period. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, at least nine people, including two health workers, were killed in Israeli attacks on Wednesday. Those health workers were killed in an attack on an ambulance in the southern Chehor region. A car was also targeted south of the capital Beirut.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army stated that a drone and two missiles coming across the border were shot down. Hezbollah, on the other hand, claimed that it targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers. Before the announcement, the Israeli leadership had warned that if Hezbollah's attacks in northern Israel continued, large-scale military action would be taken again in the southern suburb of Beirut, Dahieh.

Mahmoud Kamati, a member of Hezbollah's political council, said that the commitments made in the Lebanon-Israel talks would not be binding for them. In a conversation with the BBC, he claimed that there was no formal ceasefire agreement, only the security of the Dahieh area was ensured. claim.