Yesterday Israel and Hezbollah agreed on a new ceasefire, which came into effect at 4 p.m. local time. The agreement, mediated by Qatar with the involvement of the United States and Iran itself, comes after an escalation that caused deaths and injuries on both sides.
The truce is not just a local matter: it represents a fundamental piece to advance the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran, which has already seen Tehran reopen the Strait of Hormuz and has initiated negotiations on the Iranian nuclear issue.
However, the positions of the two contenders remain distant, with Israel insisting on its own security and Hezbollah conditioning every step on the Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
The escalation and the mediation
The ceasefire comes at a very delicate moment. In recent days, after the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran, clashes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah had intensified, directly threatening the implementation of the broader agreement.
As reported by the Financial Times, the fighting had pushed Tehran to postpone the nuclear talks scheduled in Switzerland, explicitly linking its willingness to the ceasefire in Lebanon.
Just yesterday Israeli attacks hit over twenty villages in southern Lebanon, causing 47 deaths and 97 injuries according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health. Hezbollah responded with drone attacks, killing four Israeli soldiers and wounding five others.
This spiral of violence forced intense diplomatic activity, with the US and Qatar working side by side with Iran to bring the parties back to calm.
A senior US official quoted by Reuters confirmed the agreement: “Hezbollah and Israel have agreed on a ceasefire,” specifying that it came into effect at 4 p.m. local time, after the morning exchanges of fire.
Israel’s positions
Israel confirmed its commitment to the ceasefire, but with significant reservations.
Tel Aviv’s ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, stated on social media that Israel “is firmly committed to an immediate ceasefire” if Hezbollah respects the agreement and ceases hostilities. However, he added that his country “will never compromise its security” and that Israeli forces will continue to operate in southern Lebanon to dismantle Hezbollah’s terrorist infrastructures.
As highlighted by the New York Times, Leiter specified that the Jewish state’s forces will remain in the area until the mission is completed.
Prime Minister Netanyahu reiterated that Israel will defend its northern borders and maintain a “security zone” in southern Lebanon for as long as necessary.
Military spokesperson Effie Defrin confirmed that forces on the ground maintain “full operational freedom” to remove immediate threats.
Meanwhile, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir was fanning the flames, going so far as to say that “all of Lebanon must burn.”
Hezbollah’s conditions
As reported by the BBC, Hezbollah did not formally confirm the immediate ceasefire, and its secretary general, Sheikh Naim Qassem, declared that “the project to eliminate Hezbollah has failed” and that the Israelis “will withdraw from every inch of our land.”
The group reiterated that it will continue operations until Israel fully withdraws from southern Lebanon.
Internal Hezbollah sources cited by NBC News said, however, that the movement will respect the truce, while accusing the Israelis of continuing to attempt advances.
The role of the United States
The Trump administration played a central role in the mediation. The president himself told NBC News that he spoke with Israeli leaders requesting the ceasefire: “It’s a good thing, it’s the cherry on top,” the president said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, reaffirming US support for a sovereign Lebanon at peace with its neighbors. As reported by the New York Times, new direct talks between Israel and Lebanon are scheduled in Washington next week.
However, tensions remain. Vice President JD Vance openly criticized the Netanyahu government and its right-wing coalition, noting that Trump is “the only head of state in the world still sympathetic to Israel.”
Vance warned that personal attacks on the American president by Israeli figures risk further isolating the Jewish state. Trump himself expressed frustration over Netanyahu’s actions, while defending the overall agreement.
The US-Iran negotiations on hold
As noted by the Guardian, the US-Iran talks, scheduled in Switzerland yesterday with Vance’s participation, were postponed due to the clashes in Lebanon, despite dozens of White House officials, staff members, and media representatives already being on site to prepare for the arrival of the US vice president. Tehran did not send any representative, conditioning its participation on the cessation of hostilities in Lebanon.
Despite the postponement, the negotiations are not formally interrupted. The memorandum of understanding, digitally signed this week by Trump and Iranian President Pezeshkian, provides a 60-day window to reach a permanent nuclear agreement, with significant economic incentives for Iran, including the removal of sanctions and funds for reconstruction.
Tehran has already reopened the Strait of Hormuz, at least temporarily without tolls, while the United States has lifted the naval blockade on Iranian ports.
As the Financial Times notes, the agreement also includes future discussions on the management of the strait with Oman and other Gulf states.
Trump downplayed the delays, saying the talks will resume soon, possibly with envoy Steve Witkoff in the lead and Vance following later. Iran, for its part, spoke of ongoing consultations through mediators.
