Israel And Hezbollah Agree To Halt Fighting, Officials Say, As U.S.-Iran Talks Hang In The Balance

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group agreed Friday to halt violent clashes in southern Lebanon that threatened to unravel an interim agreement. Between USA and Iran Officials said they were taking action to end the war. Neither Israel nor Hezbollah immediately ratified the ceasefire.

This comes after 47 people and four Israeli soldiers were killed in a violent clash in Lebanon.

Hezbollah and Israel went to war with Hezbollah shortly after the broader conflict broke out Launching rockets and drones In Northern Israel and civilian communities in Israel Capturing large areas of southern Lebanon.

interim agreement Already reopened to end Iran war Strait of HormuzIran has effectively shut down and the global economy has been deprived of significant supplies of oil and natural gas. The agreement will also restart negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program, the key issue on which Israel and the United States began war on February 28.

But the deal We are currently facing threats, especially from Lebanon.The clashes there caused a delay in the start of talks scheduled for Friday in Switzerland. The agreement calls for a halt to military operations in Lebanon and respect for Lebanon’s sovereignty. Neither Israel nor Hezbollah is party to the agreement.

Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu He promised to keep Israeli forces in southern Lebanon until the threat is eliminated. Hezbollah has refused to stop its attacks unless Israel commits to withdrawing from Lebanon, which Iran says is a condition of the deal.

Hours after officials briefed news organizations about the ceasefire, Israeli artillery fire could still be heard from northern Israel along the Lebanese border, and a large explosion appeared to have occurred in Lebanon, according to an AP journalist in northern Israel.

News of the attempt to stop the conflict came from two regional officials and one US official. Qatar, the United States and Iran are brokering the effort, regional officials said. The three officials were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah was supposed to end at 4 p.m. local time, according to a second U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly and also spoke on condition of anonymity.

A Hezbollah official said an agreement to stop the fighting could be announced soon but stopped short of confirming it was in effect. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

Netanyahu’s office did not immediately comment on the matter. But Netanyahu posted on X on Friday that the Israeli army, on his orders, had “strongly struck” 150 Hezbollah targets, killing dozens of militants.

Military spokesman Brig. General Effie Defrin said the army had received no different instructions from the government. He said Israeli forces were operating in the “forward defense zone” and would continue to do so.

Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, stated in

According to two regional officials, Iranian officials did not travel to Switzerland as planned and insisted that fighting in Lebanon had to stop before talks could be held; An Iranian official and a fourth person familiar with the matter spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive behind-the-scenes conversations. US Vice President JD Vance He also postponed his trip.

Future talks are expected to bring a permanent end to the conflict.

On Friday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said consultations were continuing through mediators on the next phase of negotiations to draft a final agreement.

He said the talks in Switzerland were not urgent as the first agreement was signed digitally earlier this week and plans were ongoing to hold a meeting in the coming days.

The Israeli army said four soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel, were killed in an attack on a tank in a village near the city of Nabatiyeh in southern Lebanon. Military officials added that five more people were injured in the explosive drone attack.

Israel then launched multiple attacks on “Hezbollah infrastructure facilities” in Nabatiyeh and other areas, according to a military statement that accused the militant group of “blatant ceasefire violations.”

Later, the army announced that it also hit targets in the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon, and Lebanese media said the village of Douris was hit.

“Israel will not tolerate attacks on our soldiers or our lands, and Hezbollah will pay a very heavy price for these attacks.” Netanyahu said in a statement.

Hezbollah acknowledged targeting Israeli tanks and said its attacks were a response to what it called Israel’s violation of the ceasefire. It was stated that the attacks took place after Israeli forces tried to reach the northern side of Ali al-Tahir hill, a strategic point overlooking Nabatiyeh that Israeli troops tried to capture.

Many people in southern Lebanon were forced to leave their villages.

Mustafa Zain, who was in a truck with his six daughters, said, “The situation is illegal, we couldn’t stay.”

Israel’s actions created a rift between Israel and the United States; Trump has become increasingly critical of his close ally Netanyahu, who is also facing increasing criticism at home.

The talks in Switzerland were expected to focus on Iran’s nuclear program. Tehran maintains it is peaceful despite having highly enriched uranium that could be used to make multiple atomic bombs, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

These talks are expected to be difficult. The 2015 nuclear deal, which Trump canceled in his first term, negotiations lasted more than 18 months.

The interim agreement gives negotiators 60 days to reach a nuclear deal, but that period could be extended. The report outlines lucrative incentives if Iran reaches a new deal, including the eventual lifting of all international sanctions and a $300 billion fund for post-war reconstruction.

Iran has already won some concessions. Following the signing of the interim agreement, the United States lifted the embargo on Iranian ports and allowed Iran to sell its oil freely. The agreement also calls for lifting the freeze on Iran’s assets, but it is unclear how quickly this will happen.

Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Madhani from Zurich. Associated Press journalists David Rising in Bangkok, Abby Sewell and Bassem Mroue in Beirut, Samy Magdy in Cairo, Malak Harb in Tire, Lebanon, Munir Ahmed in Islamabad and Areej Hazboun in Jerusalem contributed to this story.