Israel, Hezbollah renew ceasefire again as US seeks to contain Lebanon conflict

Israel and the Iran-backed terror group Hezbollah agreed to renew the ceasefire in Lebanon on Friday, according to a senior U.S. official who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity. The renewed ceasefire took effect at 4 p.m. local time as part of U.S.-led efforts to halt the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

“Hezbollah and Israel have agreed to a ceasefire,” the U.S. official said, adding that Washington secured the agreement in coordination with Qatar and Iran. “We understand that after the exchange of fire earlier today, Israel and Hezbollah are now in a ceasefire,” the official added.

Israel later confirmed that it had accepted the ceasefire while stressing that it would respond to any Hezbollah attacks on Israeli soldiers or civilians.

"Recent events have made one thing clear: IDF soldiers must stand between Hezbollah and Israeli civilians," the IDF spokesperson said during a briefing on Friday. "We will not wait for the next attack to reach our homes. We will continue to remove immediate threats, respond to Hezbollah’s violations, and do whatever is necessary to protect our civilians."

Hezbollah, which calls for Israel's destruction, launched attacks on Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, and again in early March 2026. Israel responded with extensive military strikes against Hezbollah targets across Lebanon. According to the IDF, at least 2,500 Hezbollah fighters have been killed since early March, while 35 Israeli soldiers have been killed during the same period.

Iranian officials have linked the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the United States to the fighting in Lebanon, calling for Israel to end its military operations and withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon. Meanwhile, Israel has accused Hezbollah of repeatedly violating the ceasefire through attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians.

On Friday, Washington reportedly informed Tehran through mediators that Israel would halt its military operations against Hezbollah after responding to the killing of four Israeli soldiers, according to media reports.

Earlier this week at the G7 summit in France, U.S. President Donald Trump criticized Israel’s handling of Hezbollah.

While urging Israel to exercise restraint, Washington on Friday blamed Hezbollah for violating the ceasefire in Lebanon.

“Hezbollah violated the ceasefire. Israel has agreed to let it be, which was relayed to the Iranians, and it’s up to Hezbollah to stop,” U.S. sources told CNN.

Israel said it had accepted the ceasefire while emphasizing that it would respond to any future Hezbollah attacks or violations. “My directive is clear: Israel will not tolerate attacks on our soldiers or our territory, and it will exact a very heavy price from Hezbollah for these attacks,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote on 𝕏 on Friday. “The IDF will act to thwart any threat to our forces and our territory.”

The Israeli leader also vowed that IDF troops would remain in the security zone in southern Lebanon "for as long as required to protect the settlements in the north."

Hezbollah violated the new ceasefire less than 24 hours later by firing over 50 projectiles against Israeli soldiers overnight between Friday and Saturday. The IDF responded with strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.

Lebanese media reported that at least 27 people were killed in the Israeli strikes but did not distinguish between Hezbollah members and civilians. Israel has repeatedly accused Hezbollah of operating within civilian areas, while Hezbollah denies using civilians as human shields.