Israel and Lebanon agree to implement conditional ceasefire
What's the story
The United States State Department has announced a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon following US-led negotiations. The deal is contingent on a complete halt of attacks by the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. The announcement comes after recent escalations, including Israeli airstrikes that killed at least nine people in southern Lebanon and Hezbollah rocket fire into northern Israel.
Peacekeeping role
Hezbollah operatives to be evacuated from southern Lebanon
The agreement also requires the "evacuation of all [Hezbollah] operatives" from an area controlled by Israel in southern Lebanon. The United States will assist in establishing "pilot zones" in which the Lebanese Armed Forces will take exclusive control of the territory to the exclusion of all non-state actors. These steps will enable progress towards a comprehensive peace and security agreement, the State Department said.
Ongoing tensions
Hope for comprehensive agreement on June 22 meeting
Hezbollah has not publicly responded to the ceasefire announcement. The two countries are scheduled to meet again on June 22 for further negotiations toward a comprehensive agreement. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed hope that these talks would lead to an action plan for security in Lebanon, independent from Hezbollah.
Casualty toll
Israeli airstrikes killed 4 Syrians, 2 Palestinians in Lebanon
Lebanon's health ministry said those killed by Israel on Wednesday included four Syrians and two Palestinians in the al-Housh area. Two paramedics were also killed when an ambulance was hit in Chehour. The Israeli military claimed to have intercepted a drone and two projectiles launched by Hezbollah. Before this announcement, Israel had warned of resuming strikes on Dahieh if cross-border attacks continued.
Humanitarian crisis
UN reports over a million displaced in Lebanon
The United Nations says over a million people have been displaced in Lebanon due to the conflict. Israeli evacuation orders cover more than an eighth of the country. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu pledged on Monday that Israel would escalate its strikes, prompting residents to flee southern suburbs of Beirut further to the north. Israel has since issued new evacuation orders, spanning more than a dozen new towns and villages and declaring a vast portion of the south a "combat zone."