Smoke rises following Israeli bombardment in southern Lebanon near the Beaufort Fort as seen from a place throughout the border within the Higher Galilee, in northern Israel on June 4, 2026. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun mentioned on June 4 that an settlement on implementing a ceasefire introduced in Washington after talks with Israel was the “last chance” to achieve a complete truce.
Jalaa Marey/AFP by way of Getty Photos
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Jalaa Marey/AFP by way of Getty Photos
Lebanon and Israel provisionally agreed in Washington to a brand new ceasefire Wednesday. However hours later Israel continued assaults and the militant group Hezbollah mentioned it rejected any ceasefire that didn’t begin with the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory.
The preventing appeared to jettison instant prospects of a wider ceasefire between the US and Iran. Iran has mentioned it won’t conform to a ceasefire with the U.S. and Israel until there’s one in Lebanon.
UNIFIL, the U.N. peacekeeping operation for Lebanon, introduced Thursday that one in all its peacekeepers had been killed and others wounded when mortars hit their place close to Marjayoun in southeastern Lebanon.
A U.N. supply mentioned the mortars appeared to have come from Hezbollah. The assault got here as Israel and Lebanon had been negotiating a ceasefire in Washington. The particular person requested to not be recognized as a result of they weren’t approved to talk publicly on the problem. Hezbollah has been focusing on Israeli military installations within the neighborhood.
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Esmail Qaani was quoted by Iranian state media Thursday saying that Israel should withdraw to pre-war positions as step one in a ceasefire with Lebanon. Earlier than the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, Israel held 5 positions throughout the border in Lebanon. It now occupies massive components of the south of the nation.
The U.S. doesn’t converse on to Hezbollah, which it classifies as a terrorist group. Lebanon’s negotiations in Washington had been carried out with out direct inclusion of the Iran-backed group.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun mentioned Thursday that the ceasefire would come into drive inside 24 hours of all involved events approving it, particularly Hezbollah.
A Hezbollah official informed NPR that Hezbollah formally knowledgeable the Lebanese president that it might not settle for any ceasefire that didn’t start with the withdrawal of Israeli forces from south Lebanon.
The official requested to stay nameless as a result of he was not approved to talk publicly on the problem.
Israeli protection minister Israel Katz mentioned Israel was demanding the creation of what it known as a de-militarized zone inside Lebanon whereas having the ability to proceed assaults in opposition to Iran-backed Hezbollah. He mentioned Israel wouldn’t be withdrawing from the south.
Jawad Rizkallah contributed reporting from Beirut.
