Israel and Lebanon agreed on Wednesday to implement a ceasefire, according to a joint statement released on the day following trilateral negotiations in Washington D.C., the United States. The ceasefire is contingent on a complete cessation of Hezbollah fire and the evacuation of all Hezbollah operatives from the South Litani Sector, said the statement issued by the two countries and the United States.
Israel and Lebanon also agreed to advance the creation of "pilot zones" in Lebanon where the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah will be excluded.
In these pilot zones, "Lebanese Armed Forces will take exclusive control of the territory to the exclusion of all non-state actors," said the statement, which was issued at the end of a fourth round of the U.S.-mediated high-level talks held at the U.S. State Department in Washington D.C. on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The fifth round of high-level talks between Israel and Lebanon "with a view toward reaching a comprehensive agreement" has been scheduled to be held later this month, said the statement.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Thursday that his country will continue its operations on the ground in southern Lebanon for the time being despite the agreement, and continue to "dismantle terrorist infrastructure in the area."
The defense minister said that the Israeli troops will remain in the security zone up to the Yellow Line -- a self-declared Israeli military buffer zone stretching roughly five to 10 kilometers north of the internationally recognized border.
Israel has the "freedom of action" backed by the United States to strike Beirut in response to attacks on Israel, he said.
Israel, Lebanon agree to implement ceasefire
Israel, Lebanon agree to implement ceasefire
