Hezbollah Agrees to ‘Reciprocal’ Ceasefire with Israel under US Proposal

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A Reciprocal Ceasefire Framework

The announcement from the Lebanese embassy in Washington established that both parties have agreed to a framework designed to de-escalate the conflict. According to the embassy, the arrangement mandates that Israeli strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs cease in exchange for Hezbollah refraining from carrying out attacks against Israel. The embassy noted that this agreement is intended to expand to encompass “all Lebanese territories.” The diplomatic push gained momentum following a series of high-level communications. The Lebanese embassy in Washington reported that President Donald Trump held a conversation with Lebanon’s ambassador to the US, Nada Maawad, to convey that he had secured the approval of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the arrangement. This diplomatic maneuver was mirrored by public statements from the US president. On his social media platform, Donald Trump stated that he spoke with both Israeli and Hezbollah representatives on Monday. Regarding the outcome of these talks, he wrote:

I had a conversation with Bibi Netanyahu today, asking him not to go into a major raid of Beirut, Lebanon. He turned his Troops around. Thank you Bibi! I also had a conversation with Representatives of the Leaders of Hezbollah, and they agreed to stop shooting at Israel, and its soldiers. Likewise, Israel agreed to stop shooting at them. Let’s see how long that lasts — Hopefully it will be for ETERNITY!

Donald Trump, US President, via The Guardian

Diplomatic Negotiations and Internal Lebanese Channels

The path to this agreement involved complex behind-the-scenes negotiations. Ali Hamdan, a top advisor to the speaker of the Lebanese parliament, Nabih Berri, revealed that the speaker had been deeply involved in facilitating the deal. Hamdan explained that he contacted the US ambassador to Beirut, Michel Issa, on Sunday to communicate Hezbollah’s readiness for a comprehensive ceasefire. “I called the US ambassador to Beirut, Michel Issa, on Sunday and told him on behalf of Speaker Berri that Hezbollah will be ready to totally commit to a comprehensive ceasefire and we are ready to guarantee it,” Hamdan told Axios, as reported by The Jerusalem Post. Initially, the US proposal focused on a more limited cessation of hostilities. Hamdan described the initial offer as a partial ceasefire, but noted that Speaker Berri pushed for a more comprehensive approach. “The proposal we received was no Hezbollah attacks on northern Israel and that in return Israel will not bomb Beirut and then gradually the ceasefire will expand to other areas,” Hamdan said. “Speaker Berri’s reply was, ‘Why a partial ceasefire? Let’s have a full ceasefire.'”

Israeli Operational Stance and Future Negotiations

Despite the reported agreement, the situation on the ground remains sensitive. Following his call with the US president, Prime Minister Netanyahu issued a caveat, stating that “if Hezbollah doesn’t stop attacking our towns and citizens – Israeli will attack terror targets in Beirut.” The Israeli government also indicated that the IDF would continue to operate as planned in southern Lebanon, according to The Jerusalem Post. The uncertainty regarding the implementation of the ceasefire has been noted by participants. Reflecting on the urgency of the situation, Hamdan stated, “We know time is running out.” Looking ahead, the focus shifts to formalizing these understandings. The statement from the Lebanese embassy indicated that scheduled negotiation meetings are set to convene on Tuesday and Wednesday. These sessions are intended to “discuss this progress and build upon it,” according to The Guardian. While the diplomatic channels remain active, the broader regional context remains volatile. Reports on Monday indicated that while the US president claimed talks with Iran were continuing at a rapid pace regarding a potential deal to extend the ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media had reported the suspension of message exchanges with Washington earlier in the day.