The delegations of Israel and Lebanon meeting in Washington agreed on Wednesday to implement a ceasefire conditioned on the Shiite militia Hizbullah stopping its attacks on Israeli territory and ceasing its operations in the southern part of the Arab country.
With the mediation of the United States, they designed a plan to create "pilot zones" in Lebanon that are controlled by the Lebanese Army and exclude the Islamist group, detailed in a joint statement. Both parties also agreed to hold a new round of negotiations in the U.S. capital on June 22nd.
The delegations, led by the ambassadors of Israel and Lebanon in the United States, Yechiel Leiter and Nada Hamadeh, met on Tuesday and Wednesday at the State Department headquarters in what was the fourth round of peace negotiations held this year.
Additionally, the U.S. House of Representatives approved on Wednesday a measure to halt the war against Iran, a symbolic move that deals a political blow to President Donald Trump, as efforts to reach an agreement remain stalled.
Serbian peacekeeper dies and two Spaniards injured from mortar fire in Lebanon
A member of the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) died on Thursday due to injuries sustained from mortar fire at the position where he was located near Marjayoun, in the south of the country, where two other colleagues were also injured.
The deceased, of Serbian nationality, had been seriously injured during the incident last night in his deployment area and was later transferred to Beirut for treatment at a hospital, where he died, according to a UNIFIL statement.
The other two peacekeepers injured by the mortar fire are Spanish and are being treated at an international mission base.
Israeli minister calls ceasefire in Lebanon a "serious mistake"
The Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, a figure from the far-right, called the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon negotiated under Washington's mediation on Thursday a "serious mistake."
"The ceasefire with Lebanon is a serious mistake and an illusion of advisors who are leading the Prime Minister (Benjamin Netanyahu, NDLR) to make bad decisions," the minister wrote on the X social network.
Israel and Lebanon agreed on Wednesday to implement a ceasefire conditioned on a "complete cessation" of fire by Hizbullah, the Lebanese movement backed by Iran, according to a joint statement released after talks held under the mediation of the United States.