Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a truce after discussions brokered by the United States in Washington, in what is being described as a major step toward lowering tensions across the Middle East and progress in ongoing talks with Iran.
The accord, announced in a joint statement by the United States, Israel and Lebanon, aims to halt months of fighting tied to the wider dispute between Iran and its regional allies.
The conditions of the pact require the Iran-backed Hezbollah organization to completely halt hostilities and withdraw its fighters from areas south of the Litani River in southern Lebanon in order to establish a ceasefire. The Lebanese Armed Forces will take over full supervision of specified security zones in the area.
The latest deal comes after previous ceasefire arrangements failed to effectively halt the fighting, as skirmishes between Israeli soldiers and Hezbollah members have continued despite previous commitments to de-escalation.
The resumed truce might help establish circumstances for greater diplomatic progress, notably in efforts to strike a separate agreement with Iran, U.S. officials said. Tehran has said repeatedly that any bigger deal with the United States and Israel must also include the crisis in Lebanon.
The accord also provides for further talks later this month with both Israel and Lebanon promising to negotiate on lingering security and political issues. U.S. officials said they hoped the talks would eventually lead to a broader peace settlement between the two neighbors.
But even with the diplomatic victory, it remains unclear whether the ceasefire would endure. Hezbollah has not been a direct participant in the Washington negotiations and previous cease-fires have fallen apart amid resumption of combat and mutual charges of violations.
But the deal has been welcomed by international observers and financial markets, with oil prices falling on anticipation that a reduction in regional hostilities could reduce the chance of further interruptions to global energy supplies.
The following days will be critical to see if the ceasefire can hold and if it will lead to substantial progress in the larger diplomatic efforts involving Iran, Israel and the United States, analysts say.
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