▲ The southern Lebanese port city of Tyre
Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a cease-fire following intense armed clashes that had stalled follow-up negotiations for a truce between the U.S. and Iran, local and international media reported on June 19 (local time), citing U.S. officials.
A senior U.S. official told the Israeli newspaper The Times of Israel, "Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a cease-fire in Lebanon. The truce officially took effect at 4:00 p.m. local time."
The official explained that the agreement was the result of mediation efforts, with the U.S. and Qatar holding talks with Israel and Iran, respectively.
An Israeli source also confirmed the implementation of the cease-fire through local Hebrew-language media.
However, the source warned that the Israeli military would maintain its presence in the buffer zone in southern Lebanon and would respond immediately if Hezbollah launched any attacks.
Earlier, the Israeli military stated that it had conducted airstrikes on approximately 80 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon from the previous night through this morning.
Israel claimed that the strikes were a response to a "cease-fire violation" by Hezbollah that resulted in the deaths of four Israeli soldiers.
Due to the armed clashes between Israel and Hezbollah, the in-person negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, which were scheduled to be held in Switzerland today, were canceled.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned, "I have ordered a powerful strike against Hezbollah for violating the cease-fire," adding, "We will never tolerate attacks on our soldiers or our territory, and we will make Hezbollah pay a heavy price."
On the other hand, Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, condemned Israel's attacks on Lebanon and held the U.S. accountable.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.