"Following today's fighting, Israel and Hezbollah have now ceased fire," a U.S. official told Reuters on June 19, adding that the agreement took effect around 4 p.m. (8 p.m. Hanoi time).
AFP quoted a Gulf official as confirming that Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire thanks to mediation efforts by Qatar, the US, and Iran.
A senior Israeli official said Tel Aviv would implement the ceasefire as long as Hezbollah did not attack the country. Israeli troops would continue their presence in the areas they control in southern Lebanon.
A Hezbollah political official said Iran had told the armed group that Tehran could not continue negotiations with Washington without an effective ceasefire.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei declined to comment on the content of the exchange, only warning the U.S. that it would bear direct responsibility for Israeli attacks in Lebanon. He noted that Tehran would use all necessary measures to protect its interests, security, and allies.
The Israeli military announced on June 19 that it had attacked more than 80 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon and killed dozens of members of the Iranian-backed armed group.
Lebanese officials said 21 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes in the south. The Israeli military reported that four soldiers, including a battalion commander, were killed after a tank was attacked by Hezbollah.
This is the first time the IDF has suffered casualties since the US and Iran signed the memorandum of understanding, which included a clause requiring Israel to end its campaign in Lebanon.
Lebanon was drawn into the Middle Eastern conflict on March 2nd, when the Hezbollah armed group fired rockets at Israeli territory in retaliation for the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in a US-Israeli airstrike. Israel responded by launching airstrikes across Lebanon and deploying troops to the south of the neighboring country. Meanwhile, Hezbollah affirmed that it would continue fighting until Israeli forces left Lebanon.
The two sides had previously reached ceasefires on April 17 and June 3, but fighting resumed afterward.
Source: https://baohatinh.vn/israel-hezbollah-nhat-tri-ngung-ban-post312567.html
