OAN Staff Katherine Mosack
11:11 AM – Thursday, June 4, 2026
After a fourth round of trilateral talks, the United States, Israel and Lebanon have agreed to renew a ceasefire, but Hezbollah has not accepted the arrangement.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the U.S. Department of State convened with Israeli and Lebanese officials in Washington, D.C.
A joint statement between the three nations confirmed the implementation of a ceasefire, adding a new stipulation.
“The ceasefire is contingent on a complete cessation of Hizbollah fire and the evacuation of all Hizbollah operatives from the South Litani Sector,” the statement read. “The two sides agreed with the guidance of the United States to swiftly advance the creation of pilot zones in which the Lebanese Armed Forces will take exclusive control of the territory to the exclusion of all non-state actors.”
Israel and Lebanon established their intent to build toward a full “peace and security agreement,” as they “have no hostile intent toward one another” while also openly rejecting Hezbollah’s influence and the aggressive actions of its sponsor, the Iranian Islamic Regime.
“All countries reaffirmed that the future of the relationship between Israel and Lebanon must be decided by the two sovereign governments. They rejected any attempt, by any state or non-state actor, to hold Lebanon’s future hostage,” the official statement continued.
“All parties condemned Iran’s attacks on countries in the region, and ongoing activities that undermine stability throughout the Middle East, whether through support for proxies and all other acts of aggression,” it added.
The U.S. supported both countries’ exercise of sovereignty and “underscored its intent to support the Lebanese Armed Forces,” emphasizing Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s statement this week that Hezbollah “is not just an enemy of Israel and an enemy of America, but that it is an enemy of Lebanon.”
Israel emphasized that it can only secure its territorial integrity by disarming Hezbollah and dismantling its infrastructure in Lebanon.
“Lebanon committed to enhancing the capacity of the Lebanese Armed Forces, with U.S. support, to assert effective control throughout the country,” the State Department said.
Hezbollah has in turn rejected the ceasefire framework.
In a statement on Thursday, the group’s leader, Naim Qassem, called the plan a “roadmap to annihilate part of the Lebanese people.”
“As long as the occupation exists, the resistance will continue,” he said, referring to Israel’s security buffer zone in some areas of southern Lebanon. “We call upon the officials to put an end to this farce and humiliation called direct negotiations.”
Israel intensified its military operations in Lebanon shortly after launching a joint campaign with the United States against Iran in February. Israeli leadership has maintained that its actions in Lebanon are designed to dismantle hubs used by Hezbollah, framing the operations as a critical component of the broader campaign against Tehran, which serves as the terrorist group’s primary financial and military sponsor.
The head of the Quds Force, part of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said, “Supporting the resistance in Lebanon is the duty of all of us, and removing Israel from the region is an attainable goal for Muslims.”
Tehran previously insisted that any tentative ceasefire agreement with the U.S. be conditioned on an end to the fighting in Lebanon.
Israel and Lebanon agreed to reconvene during the week of June 22nd to hopefully reach a more comprehensive agreement with the U.S. mediating.
Stay informed! Receive breaking news alerts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts
What do YOU think? Click here to jump to the comments!
Sponsored Content Below
Be the first to comment