Overview
- A deal announced in Washington on Thursday between Israel and the Lebanese government tied a ceasefire to a complete halt of Hezbollah fire, the evacuation of its fighters from south of the Litani River, and the creation of Lebanese Armed Forces 'pilot zones'.
- Hezbollah, which was not a signatory, rejected the terms as humiliating and said it would continue resistance rather than withdraw from southern Lebanon.
- Israel has kept up strikes and ground deployments in the south, including occupation of positions such as Beaufort Castle, and Israeli officials say forces will retain 'freedom of action' rather than make an immediate withdrawal.
- The announced framework has not taken hold on the ground, with continued clashes and air raids, reported civilian deaths and displacement, and at least one UN peacekeeper killed in the fighting.
- Iran has reiterated support for Hezbollah and insisted on an Israeli withdrawal as a precondition for any US‑Iran interim deal, and Hezbollah’s rejection has complicated and in some accounts stalled progress in the US‑Iran negotiations while raising wider regional security and shipping risks.