The Israeli and Lebanese governments have agreed to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire following talks in Washington, DC. The agreement is contingent on the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah completely halting all fire and evacuating all operatives from areas south of the Litani River. However, Hezbollah, which was not party to the talks, has rejected the terms as a virtual surrender, demanding a complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. Israel has responded by stating it will not withdraw from the border area and its military has vowed to continue striking in the south.
Violence has persisted despite the announcement, with Israel carrying out drone attacks and strikes that killed five people in eastern Lebanon and three more near the city of Tyre. Lebanon's Health Ministry reports that at least 3,526 people have been killed by Israeli attacks since March 2. Additionally, the Israeli army issued forced evacuation orders for nine villages in southern Lebanon, including Anqoun, which hosted 2,500 displaced people, causing thousands more to flee. In southeastern Lebanon, UNIFIL reported that one peacekeeper was killed and others wounded by mortar fire.
The ongoing conflict casts a shadow over broader peace negotiations between the United States and Iran. Iran has made a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah a condition for any interim peace deal with Washington. Despite this, there has been little to no progress in U.S.-Iran talks, with the two sides remaining at loggerheads as fighting continues in Lebanon and tit-for-tat strikes persist.