An American official told Reuters on Friday that Israel and Hezbollah had agreed to a ceasefire effective at 4:00 p.m. the same day. The reported deal was brokered by the United States and Qatar, with the aim of preventing the collapse of the agreement with Iran and reviving negotiations that were supposed to begin in Switzerland on Thursday.
The report came shortly after CNN said Washington had sent Tehran a message that Israel did not intend to further escalate its strikes in Lebanon, as the Trump administration tried to calm tensions and get the nuclear talks with Iran back on track. A U.S. source familiar with the matter said, “Hezbollah violated the ceasefire. Israel responded, and agreed to leave things as they are.” The source added, “This message was passed to the Iranians, and now the responsibility is with Hezbollah, who need to stop.”
The announcement followed a difficult morning for Israel. Earlier in the day, the military cleared for publication that four IDF soldiers were killed overnight in southern Lebanon, including the commander of Battalion 52, Lt. Col. Dor Gidalia Ben Shimchon. In response, the IDF carried out a broad wave of strikes across Lebanon, hitting more than 80 Hezbollah targets, including headquarters, launch positions, and military infrastructure.
The army said an initial investigation found that a suspicious object struck a tank from Battalion 52 directly in the area of the village of Tebnin in southern Lebanon, where the unit has recently been operating under the Givati Brigade combat team. It said it cannot yet determine conclusively that the strike was caused by a suicide drone, and all possibilities remain under review. The Northern Command and other professional bodies are still investigating the incident. During the night, rockets were also launched at IDF forces in southern Lebanon, and the army said it killed two militants fleeing on an motorcycle from the launch area before destroying the launcher used in the attack.
Following the events in Lebanon, Iranian and American representatives who had been expected to attend the talks in Switzerland canceled their trips. Tehran warned the United States and the mediating states that the Lebanese front is a central and critical factor in deciding whether the negotiations continue or are stopped completely.
