Israel and Lebanon announced the renewal of a ceasefire upon certain conditions, but the continued non-engagement of Hezbollah in the talks makes the group’s cooperation uncertain.
The ceasefire renewal, which effectively functions as a new attempt at a ceasefire, came as a result of the third round of trilateral talks between the U.S. State Department, an Israeli delegation, and a Lebanese government delegation in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday and Wednesday. The new ceasefire agreement added clear steps for Hezbollah to take, which included its exit from southern Lebanon and a cessation of fire against Israel. As with the previous ceasefire announcements, Hezbollah is unlikely to abide by the agreement, given its continued exclusion from talks. The group has repeatedly voiced its intention not to abide by any ceasefire agreement without the complete withdrawal of Israeli military troops from southern Lebanon.
“As a result of the U.S.-led negotiations, Israel and Lebanon agreed to the implementation of a ceasefire. The ceasefire is contingent on a complete cessation of Hizbollah fire and the evacuation of all Hezbollah operatives from the South Litani Sector,” a joint statement from the three negotiating parties read.
“The two sides agreed with the guidance of the United States to swiftly advance the creation of pilot zones in which the Lebanese Armed Forces will take exclusive control of the territory to the exclusion of all non-state actors,” it added — a new stipulation of the ceasefire framework.
The statement was openly hostile toward Hezbollah, saying, “All countries reaffirmed that the future of the relationship between Israel and Lebanon must be decided by the two sovereign governments. They rejected any attempt, by any state or non-state actor, to hold Lebanon’s future hostage.”
The comment was an obvious slight against Hezbollah, which has established effective control over much of Lebanon for decades. Even in its degraded state, the militant group is still several times more powerful than the Lebanese government. The statement also condemned Iran’s attacks on countries in the Middle East, and “ongoing activities that undermine stability throughout the Middle East, whether through support for proxies and all other acts of aggression.”
After the ceasefire was made public, Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem called negotiations “shameless” and said the deal is a “surrender and defeat.”
The three negotiating parties established that they would reconvene the week of June 22 for further talks.
Though a ceasefire in Lebanon was announced in April, it has essentially only existed on paper. Hezbollah and Israel have continued attacks against each other unabated, with each blaming provocations from the other as the reason for their attacks.
Further casting doubt on the viability of the new ceasefire announcement were comments from Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Thursday. He said Israel’s operations in Lebanon would continue unabated, and that residents from southern Lebanon wouldn’t be able to return home.
The failure of a ceasefire in Lebanon has thrown the viability of a continued ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran in question. Earlier this week, Tehran said it would withdraw from negotiations altogether unless a true ceasefire was implemented in southern Lebanon, sparking a flurry of diplomatic activity to manage the situation.
The issue of Lebanon has emerged as a key friction point between the U.S. and Israel, with President Donald Trump confirming on Wednesday that he cursed out Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a phone call over Israel’s actions in Lebanon.
IRAN HITS KUWAIT AND BAHRAIN IN ONE OF MOST DAMAGING ATTACKS SINCE CEASEFIRE
“You’re f***ing crazy. You’d be in prison if it weren’t for me. I’m saving your a**. Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this,” Trump reportedly told Netanyahu, according to sources speaking with Axios, which was confirmed on Wednesday. At one point, he added, “What the f*** are you doing?”
The Israeli military advanced north of the Litani River for the first time since it withdrew from Lebanon in 2000 last month, taking the historic Beaufort crusader castle.