Israel and Hezbollah agree to ceasefire, agency says

Israel shows attacks on Hezbollah terrorists in southern Lebanon
Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire from 4pm local time in Lebanon - 10am in Brasília - this Friday (19), a senior United States government official told Reuters.
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The source, who spoke to the news agency on condition of anonymity, said that US and Qatari negotiators drafted the agreement with the help of Iran.
"Hezbollah and Israel have agreed to a ceasefire. We understand that, following the exchange of fire that took place today, Israel and Hezbollah are now in a ceasefire," he declared.
Smoke rises from southern Lebanon after an Israeli attack, seen from Marjayoun
REUTERS/Stringer
The statement comes just hours after Israel announced, in a statement on social media, an attack on "more than 80 targets" in Lebanon, which left "dozens" of members of the Lebanese extremist group dead.
The Israeli Armed Forces said the offensive was a response to "repeated and flagrant violations of the ceasefire" by the extremist group, after announcing shortly before that four officers had died in fighting in the southern Lebanon on Thursday (18) and that four were injured in a drone attack.
"Overnight, the Israel Defense Forces attacked more than 80 command centers, terrorists, launch positions and other terrorist infrastructure sites in the Nabatieh region and other areas of southern Lebanon, within and beyond the Security Zone. Not long ago, in response to repeated ceasefire violations by the terrorist organization Hezbollah, they attacked two command centers of the Hezbollah in the Beqaa Valley, while Hezbollah terrorists operated within them", reveals the message.
According to the British network BBC, citing the Lebanese Ministry of Health, at least 18 people were killed in the bombings.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also spoke. He lamented the death of the soldiers and declared that Israel will not tolerate attacks against its soldiers or territory, and reaffirmed that Israel will not leave Lebanon.
"My directive is clear: Israel will not tolerate attacks on our troops or our territory, and will charge Hezbollah a very high price for these attacks. The IDF will act to thwart any threat to our forces and our territory", he posted on the social network X.
The Security Zone mentioned in the IDF statement is a large area of the southern Lebanon, demarcated about 10 kilometers away from the Israeli border. The objective, according to Benjamin Netanyahu's government, is to "strengthen the defense of the residents of northern Israel".
Israel releases map with 'security zone' in southern Lebanon, 10 km away from the country's border
Israel Defense Forces / Disclosure
A map showing where the Israeli government wishes to maintain the occupation of its troops in Lebanese territory (see above) was released this Thursday, in defiance of the agreement reached between the United States and Iran.
"Soldiers continue their mission in southern Lebanon, focusing on dismantling the strategic underground infrastructure that the terrorist organization Hezbollah built in the Beaufort area over many years", reaffirmed the Israeli Army this Friday.
The peace agreement signed on Wednesday by the US with Iran this Wednesday (17) requires an end to fighting on all fronts, including in Lebanon, and that the parties guarantee "the territorial integrity and sovereignty" of the country.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, has continually rejected calls from US President Donald Trump to withdraw his troops from Lebanese territory and stop bombings.
After signing a preliminary agreement between the US and Iran, Israel posts a map with military occupation in Lebanon
Two Israeli officials, including a high-ranking official close to Netanyahu, who spoke to the Reuters news agency on condition of anonymity, said on Thursday that Israel is holding negotiations with the US on the continued deployment of its troops in southern Lebanon and described them as "difficult."
Both said Israel would not back down from its position that its troops would remain deployed in Lebanon and criticized the U.S. deal, saying it did not go far enough to address Israeli concerns over Iran's nuclear program.
Last week, the U.S. president admitted for the first time that he had had a heated argument with the Israeli prime minister, his longtime ally.
Trump even stated that he called Netanyahu "crazy" and did not hide his frustration with Israel's military actions in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, stating that it was not necessary to bomb entire residential buildings to hunt down Hezbollah militants.
The Republican even suggested that Syria start dealing with the extremist group: "If Israel can't do the job without killing everyone, Syria should do it."

Source: G1