Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire Extended; Pilot Security Zones Agreed as Tension Persists

Washington DC: The US State Department has announced that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to renew their temporary ceasefire and establish several "pilot" security zones inside Lebanon from which Hezbollah fighters would be barred, following a fourth round of US-mediated talks. Both countries issued a joint statement making clear that the agreement would hold only if Hezbollah completely ceased its attacks. All three parties involved in the talks rejected any attempt by a foreign country or armed group to hold Lebanon's future hostage. A further round of talks is scheduled for June 22.

Divisions Within Israel; Hezbollah Rejects Deal

The agreement has exposed sharp divisions within the Israeli government. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir condemned it as a serious mistake, arguing it would only strengthen Hezbollah. Hezbollah Political Council member Mahmoud Qamati, for his part, said the talks were irrelevant to the group and that it did not recognise the decisions reached. Hezbollah said it had refrained from attacking because Israel had assured it would not strike Beirut, while Israel warned it would resume bombing Hezbollah's stronghold of Dahiya if the group crossed the border. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also warned that Iran was prepared to intensify the conflict if Israeli attacks on Lebanon continued.

Strikes Continue Despite Ceasefire

Despite the ceasefire framework, Israel carried out intense air strikes in southern Lebanon on Wednesday and Thursday. Nine people were killed in an attack on the Al-Housh area south of Tyre, including four Syrian nationals and two Palestinians. In the Chehour area, an Israeli strike directly targeted an ambulance, killing two paramedics and seriously injuring a third. Lebanon's Health Ministry accused Israel of flagrant violations of international humanitarian law, noting that 128 healthcare workers have been killed in Israeli strikes over the past three months. A Lebanese soldier was also killed and two others wounded in an Israeli drone strike in Nabatieh, prompting Lebanon's army to accuse Israel of deliberately targeting its personnel and vehicles. Hezbollah confirmed it fired rockets at Israeli military positions in northern Israel in response to the ceasefire violations.

Lebanon was drawn into the broader US-Israel-Iran conflict after Hezbollah launched rocket attacks on Israel on March 2. In three months, more than 3,516 people have been killed in Lebanon and over one million displaced by Israeli evacuation orders. Israel has reported 26 soldiers and 4 civilians killed on its side.