Lebanon-Israel Ceasefire Renewed with Exclusive Military Zones Deal

(MENAFN) Lebanon and Israel have reached an agreement to renew their fragile ceasefire and establish designated "pilot zones" granting the Lebanese Armed Forces exclusive territorial authority — with all non-state actors formally barred from those areas — according to a joint statement released Wednesday.

"The ceasefire is contingent on a complete cessation of Hizbollah fire and the evacuation of all Hizbollah operatives from the South Litani Sector," said the statement, issued following the fourth round of US-mediated negotiations held at the State Department.

Under the terms reached, both parties committed 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," the statement said.

"These steps will enable progress towards a comprehensive peace and security agreement," it said.

Both delegations agreed to reconvene political and security negotiations during the week of June 22, with the explicit objective of working toward a sweeping and lasting agreement, the statement added.

The two nations further reaffirmed that they have "no hostile intent toward one another" and engaged in discussions around a broader security framework encompassing "the dismantlement of non-state armed groups, and the prevention of their re-emergence," according to the statement.

The joint communiqué also directly condemned Iran's military actions across the region and its destabilizing activities that "undermine stability throughout the Middle East, whether through support for proxies and all other acts of aggression."

Lebanese sources speaking to media revealed that the second and final day of negotiations at US State Department headquarters stretched for more than six hours before concluding.

The US-brokered talks come against a backdrop of relentless Israeli strikes on Lebanon — attacks that have claimed nearly 3,500 lives since March 2, despite a ceasefire that came into force on April 17 and was subsequently extended through early July.

Tensions escalated sharply in recent weeks as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered ground forces to intensify their incursion into Lebanese territory while simultaneously calling for renewed strikes on Beirut.

Netanyahu was ultimately pulled back, however, following a tense and heated phone exchange with US President Donald Trump, according to media reports.

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