Israel and Lebanon have agreed to renew their fragile ceasefire following US-mediated talks held in Washington, according to a joint statement issued by the United States, Lebanon and Israel.
The agreement conditions the truce on a full halt to attacks by the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia and the withdrawal of its fighters from areas south of the Litani River near the Israeli border, the countries involved said in a joint statement published by the US State Department on Wednesday.
It also envisages the establishment of "pilot" security zones in which the Lebanese Armed Forces would assume exclusive control, excluding all non-state armed actors, according to the statement. It was unclear how the security zones would be set up.
"These steps will enable progress towards a comprehensive peace and security agreement," the statement said.
Lebanese state not a party to conflict
The conflict involves Israel and Hezbollah, the Shi'ite movement that operates independently of the Lebanese state and was not part of the talks. The Lebanese government is not itself a party to the conflict and has limited control over the group.
The renewed understanding follows high-level US-facilitated talks between Israeli and Lebanese officials in Washington on Tuesday and Wednesday. It was not immediately clear whether the latest arrangement is time-limited. Previous extensions of the truce had been set for fixed periods.
A US-brokered ceasefire reached in April had failed to fully halt hostilities, with both sides repeatedly accusing each other of violations.
According to the statement, the future of relations between Israel and Lebanon should be determined by the two governments. It rejected attempts by "any state or non-state actor, to hold Lebanon's future hostage," an apparent reference to Iran, Hezbollah's main backer.
In talks with the United States on a framework agreement to end the war with Iran, Tehran is also calling for an end to the conflict in Lebanon.
