The Trump administration has announced an agreement between Israel and Lebanon to implement a ceasefire, aiming to resolve one of the most significant obstacles to a broader deal intended to end the war with Iran. This Israel-Lebanon ceasefire is conditional upon a complete halt of fire from the Iran-aligned Hezbollah armed group and the withdrawal of all its fighters from the region south of the Litani river in southern Lebanon. This agreement was detailed in a joint statement released by the US State Department following negotiations in Washington.

Despite this joint commitment, hostilities have persisted. Israel conducted multiple drone strikes in the Nabatieh area of southern Lebanon on Thursday morning. Hezbollah, which was not a party to the talks, indicated earlier that it would not accept a partial ceasefire. The joint statement also did not specify if or when Israeli troops would pull back from south Lebanon, an area where Israel occupies at least 608 square kilometers of land along the border. The two sides, lacking formal diplomatic relations, also agreed to establish “pilot zones” where the Lebanese armed forces would assume exclusive control, excluding all non-state actors.

This is not the first attempt at a truce; a previous ceasefire intended for April 17 failed, with both sides justifying continued attacks by citing alleged violations from the other. The meetings in Washington marked the fourth round of direct talks between Lebanese and Israeli diplomats since fighting escalated on March 2, when Hezbollah renewed its attacks against Israel in support of Iran. The joint statement affirmed that discussions in Washington would continue to finalize the ceasefire and oversee its phased implementation. Earlier attempts at ceasefires have often fallen short, as exemplified by a 2024 agreement that saw Hezbollah agree to withdraw from south of the Litani river for the Lebanese armed forces to deploy there. However, Hezbollah's full disarmament was not achieved, and Israel subsequently carried out over 10,000 strikes in violation of that ceasefire in the following 15 months.

Wednesday’s developments followed continued cross-border attacks, including Hezbollah targeting Israeli troops and Israeli strikes killing at least nine people in southern Lebanon. US President Donald Trump had stated his desire to separate talks on the conflict in Lebanon from those concerning the war with Iran. However, Tehran maintains that these conflicts are interconnected and threatened to suspend peace talks with the US in protest against Israel’s offensive in Lebanon, potentially jeopardizing negotiations with Washington. Iran has asserted it will not abandon its ally Hezbollah in its dealings with Washington, even as the Lebanese government has declared it will not allow Tehran to negotiate on its behalf. The future of Hezbollah in Lebanon is largely understood to be tied to the outcomes of negotiations with Iran and a broader political settlement.

President Trump confirmed reports that he had described Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu as “crazy,” expressing his annoyance that Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah was complicating US-led efforts for peace talks with Iran. Trump also stated on Monday that he had halted an imminent Israeli strike on Beirut and had spoken with Netanyahu and Hezbollah representatives, who reportedly agreed that “all shooting will stop.” Analysts suggest that Israel aims to inflict maximum damage on Hezbollah before a potential peace deal with Iran could stop its offensive. Netanyahu, in an interview on Wednesday, confirmed alignment with Trump on the objective of disarming Hezbollah to achieve peace between Israel and Lebanon.

Domestically, the US president is under pressure to resolve the Iran war, as rising energy prices and economic uncertainty threaten Republican prospects in midterm elections and hinder global commerce. The US House of Representatives delivered a symbolic rebuke to Trump by backing a move to compel him to seek congressional approval for the war or withdraw US forces. The legal force of this resolution, even if passed by the Senate, remains unclear.

Recent escalations include Israeli strikes on Wednesday near the public hospital in Tebnine, days after similar attacks near the Hiram and Jabal Amel hospitals in Tyre. The Monday attack near Jabal Amel resulted in four deaths and 127 injuries, mostly among medical staff. The state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported over 20 strikes in the south, some after Israel warned residents to evacuate. The Lebanese health ministry reported an Israeli strike targeting an ambulance in the south, killing two paramedics from the Risala Scouts Association, a civilian health service associated with Hezbollah’s ally, the Amal movement.

Concurrently, Iran struck Kuwait, killing one person, damaging its international airport, and injuring dozens. The US military also carried out strikes near the Strait of Hormuz. These attacks further tested an already fragile ceasefire between the US, Israel, and Iran, causing oil prices to surge by nearly 2%, with the Strait remaining largely closed more than three months after the war began. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards denied firing at Kuwait’s airport, blaming US interceptor missiles that reportedly missed their targets, a claim the US military refuted, stating Iranian drones deliberately targeted the airport.