Israel and Lebanon agreed on Wednesday to implement a ceasefire but said it would require a \u201ccomplete cessation\u201d of fire by Hezbollah, according to a joint statement after US-led talks in Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The two sides, which do not have formal diplomatic relations, also agreed to create \u201cpilot zones\u201d in which the Lebanese armed forces \u201cwill take exclusive control of the territory to the exclusion of all non-state actors\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The development came despite continued cross-border attacks <\/a>earlier in the day, with Hezbollah saying it targeted Israeli troops and Israeli strikes killing at least ten people in southern Lebanon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just hours after the agreement was announced, air raid alarms sounded in northern Israel with a \u201csuspicious aerial target\u201d identified without causing any casualties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The joint statement said the ceasefire was \u201ccontingent on a complete cessation\u201d of fire by Hezbollah as well as evacuation of the group\u2019s operatives from southern Lebanon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The meetings in Washington were the fourth round of direct talks by Lebanese and Israeli diplomats since fighting erupted on March 2, when Hezbollah renewed attacks against Israel in support of Iran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both sides will meet for more talks the week of June 22, the statement said, \u201cwith a view toward reaching a comprehensive agreement\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump said he wanted to separate talks on the conflict in Lebanon and those on the war with Iran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tehran, however, insists the conflicts are linked and its Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that any attack on Beirut would trigger a \u201cfull-scale resumption\u201d of war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Israeli military said it intercepted a \u201chostile aircraft\u201d and two projectiles that crossed into Israeli territory from Lebanon on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hezbollah, for its part, said that \u201cin response to the Israeli enemy army\u2019s violation of the ceasefire\u201d, its fighters targeted soldiers in northern Israel with a rocket barrage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Early on Thursday, the group said it aimed a \u201csalvo of rockets\u201d at Israeli soldiers and vehicles in the southern Lebanon town of Al-Qantara, and also targeted an Israeli command position near the Chqif Castle with two drones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A truce to halt the fighting in Lebanon was meant to take hold on April 17, but has never been observed, with both sides justifying their ongoing attacks by the other\u2019s alleged violations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a>Hostilities continue<\/h2>\n\n\n\n