Lebanon’s embassy in Washington said Hezbollah has agreed to a U.S. proposal for a reciprocal cessation of attacks with Israel, a reported opening that would end Israeli strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs in exchange for Hezbollah stopping attacks on Israel. The ceasefire framework, the embassy said, would be expanded to cover all Lebanese territories.
The announcement arrived on Monday, with Ambassador Nada Maawad relaying the outcome of the discussions to President Joseph Aoun, who then informed Hezbollah. It came as Israel and Hezbollah were still trading fire in south Lebanon, making the claim instantly relevant to anyone following iran news and the wider conflict along the border. Negotiation meetings were scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday to review the progress and build on it.
But the claimed understanding sat uneasily beside public remarks from both sides. Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said the group had refused a partial truce that would spare Beirut in exchange for ending its attacks on Israel, while Donald Trump said he had spoken with both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and representatives of Hezbollah’s leaders, and that each side had agreed to stop shooting. Trump also said Netanyahu had turned his troops around after he asked him not to carry out a major raid on Beirut.
That clash of accounts leaves the reported arrangement in a fragile place. Trump said he had secured Netanyahu’s approval for the proposal and urged both sides to stop fighting “for eternity,” but Netanyahu has also said Israel would attack Beirut if Hezbollah did not stop attacking Israel and its citizens and would continue operating as planned in southern Lebanon. With Iranian state media saying Tehran had suspended message exchanges with Washington amid Israel’s assault on Lebanon, the talks due Tuesday and Wednesday are likely to decide whether this is a pause, a message, or the start of something more durable.
