Can Israel-Lebanon ceasefire hold after Hezbollah calls it 'false'? Iran says 'no tangible progress'

Israel and Lebanon said on Wednesday that they had agreed to implement a ceasefire after negotiations in Washington aimed at ending the conflict that has flared alongside the war in Iran.

The joint statement said the deal was contingent on a complete cessation of fire by Hezbollah and the evacuation of its operatives from areas south of the Litani River, while the two sides also agreed to advance “pilot” zones in which the Lebanese Armed Forces would take exclusive control.

The statement also set out further political and security talks for the week of June 22.

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Not quite the settled affair it seemed

Hezbollah quickly rejected the arrangement.

CBS News reported that the group’s leader called the deal “false” and an “illusion.” Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem demanded a complete ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon.

The group said it would continue fighting as long as Lebanese villages were bombed, deepening uncertainty over whether the latest truce plan can actually take hold without Hezbollah’s consent.

Courtesies continue, progress does not

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said Wednesday that “no tangible progress” had been made in negotiations to end the wider conflict, though he said communication with the U.S. remained open.

Araghchi warned that any Israeli strike on Beirut would trigger a “full-scale resumption” of the war and said messages were still being exchanged even if there was no formal negotiation process.

Iran had said it would not agree to a deal with the US and Israel unless a ceasefire also covered Lebanon.

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The guns pay little heed to diplomacy

The fragile diplomacy was unfolding against continued violence on the ground.

Israeli drone strikes killed at least six people in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, while Hezbollah’s rejection came as Israeli strikes killed at least four people in Lebanon and a UN peacekeeper was killed in the crossfire.

Lebanese official media had cited Israeli strikes in the south hours after the ceasefire announcement, underscoring how quickly the truce effort was being overtaken by events.