Lebanon has announced that Hezbollah has accepted a United States-backed proposal aimed at ending hostilities with Israel, in a move that could ease tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border even as uncertainty remains over military operations in southern Lebanon.
The Lebanese embassy in the United States said it had received confirmation that Hezbollah had agreed to the proposal, which calls for a mutual halt to attacks between the two sides. Under the arrangement, Israel would stop carrying out strikes on Beirut while Hezbollah would refrain from launching attacks on Israeli territory.
The development came shortly after US President Donald Trump revealed that he had held talks with both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hezbollah representatives, claiming the parties had agreed to end the fighting.
The Lebanese embassy said in a statement that it had “received confirmation of Hezbollah’s acceptance of the US proposal for a mutual cessation of attacks”.
It added that “under the proposed arrangement, Israeli strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs would cease in exchange for Hezbollah refraining from attacks against Israel”.
According to the embassy, the ceasefire arrangement is expected to be expanded beyond Beirut to cover the entire Lebanese territory.
Netanyahu confirmed the agreement but cautioned that Israel's response would depend on Hezbollah's actions.
“If Hezbollah does not stop attacking our cities and civilians,” he warned, strikes on Beirut would continue.
While acknowledging the ceasefire proposal, Netanyahu stressed that Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon would not stop.
“At the same time, the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] will continue to operate in southern Lebanon as planned,” he said.
Earlier, the Israeli leader had ordered strikes against what he described as “terror targets” in Beirut’s southern suburbs following rocket and drone attacks attributed to the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement.
The proposed ceasefire triggered a strong reaction from Iran, which has long supported Hezbollah politically, financially and militarily.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the existing truce between Tehran and Washington covered developments in Lebanon and warned against actions that could undermine it.
“The US-Iran truce was unequivocally a ceasefire on all fronts, including in Lebanon,” Araghchi said.
“Its violation on one front is a violation of the ceasefire on all fronts.”
Iranian media also reported growing concern in Tehran over the situation. Tasnim news agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported that Iran could suspend indirect negotiations with the United States if Israeli military operations in Lebanon continue.
The agency further warned that Iran and its allies could “activate other fronts, including the Bab al-Mandab Strait” near the entrance to the Red Sea.
Despite the tensions, Trump maintained that diplomatic efforts were progressing and said communication channels with both sides remained active.
In a post on Truth Social, the US president said he had held a “very productive call” with Netanyahu.
“I had a very productive call with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, of Israel, and there will be no Troops going to Beirut, and any Troops that are on their way, have already been turned back,” Trump wrote.
He also said discussions with Hezbollah representatives had produced positive results.
“Likewise, through highly placed Representatives, I had a very good call with Hezbollah, and they agreed that all shooting will stop – That Israel will not attack them, and they will not attack Israel.”
The United States has continued to treat developments in Lebanon separately from its wider negotiations with Iran, even as Tehran insists that any broader agreement must also guarantee peace in Lebanon.
On Sunday, a US official disclosed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had presented a plan for a gradual reduction in hostilities to both Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
Although a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon came into effect on April 16, 2026, clashes have continued. Israel has carried out two strikes in Beirut since then, the latest occurring on Thursday.
Reports indicate that the White House has been urging Israel to limit military action in Beirut as part of broader efforts to secure a lasting settlement linked to the wider conflict involving Iran.
A separate ceasefire between the United States and Iran took effect on April 8, 2026, but fighting and regional tensions have persisted.
Over the weekend, tensions escalated around the Strait of Hormuz after the United States said it had struck Iranian military sites. Tehran responded by claiming it targeted a US military base in Kuwait.
The renewed exchange of attacks affected global energy markets, with oil prices rising on Monday. Brent crude climbed by nearly a barrel to about Sh12,667 before easing to around Sh12,441.
Oil markets have remained volatile since Israel and the United States launched strikes against Iran on February 28, with expectations of peace agreements and fears of further escalation continuing to influence prices.
The conflict, now in its third month, has effectively disrupted movement through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping route through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas supplies normally pass.
Trump has repeatedly expressed optimism that Washington and Tehran are nearing a permanent agreement and said negotiations are moving forward quickly, although no final deal has been announced.