Netanyahu Tells Cabinet: Israel Does Not Yet Have an Agreement with Lebanon

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the cabinet that the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon has “not yet been fully formulated,” and that Hezbollah opposes it, so from Israel’s perspective “there is currently no agreement,” according to a report aired Friday evening on Kan News.

The security establishment has also not yet received instructions for implementing it, and operational activity in Lebanon remains unchanged, including the restrictions on activity in Beirut. After ministers pressed to expand the fighting, the prime minister said he prefers the diplomatic track and that Trump is a strategic partner of the State of Israel, so the continuation of contacts and talks should be allowed.

The IDF chief of staff told cabinet ministers that the political echelon must decide where to go next, and that the army is prepared to expand the fighting as well. “If it is possible to reach a ceasefire under conditions acceptable to us, then it is better today than in a month, under the same conditions,” according to sources familiar with the matter.

Israeli and American sources say Israel’s conditions for a ceasefire are the demilitarization of southern Lebanon up to the Litani River, while preserving the security strip Israel has captured and freedom of action to remove immediate threats. Figures familiar with the talks between Israel and the United States say the Trump administration expressed understanding of these terms.

Cabinet ministers pressed to expand the fighting in Lebanon, and Netanyahu replied: from Israel’s perspective, there is currently no ceasefire agreement, and Hezbollah opposes it. Trump is a partner, and the talks should be allowed to continue.| A post by @gilicohen10 #חדשותשישי with @MoavVardi pic.twitter.com/gCjrfbNVVX, Kan News (@kann_news) June 5, 2026

As a reminder, yesterday the U.S. State Department announced that Israel and Lebanon had agreed on implementing a ceasefire, on condition that Hezbollah stop firing and withdraw from the area south of the Litani River. The announcement came after the latest round of talks between the two countries in Washington.

It was also written that the two sides agreed to advance the creation of “pilot zones,” in which the Lebanese army would receive exclusive control over the territory, while “pushing out any non-state actor.” The Lebanese newspaper Nidaa al-Watan reported, citing sources in Beirut, that the Israeli side rejected the delegation’s proposal to choose Bint Jbeil as the test area. “No one agreed on anything,” the sources said. “Bint Jbeil was proposed as an idea, but the matter has not yet been decided, although Lebanon is open to any area or strip of land.”

The U.S. statement also said that “Israel and Lebanon have confirmed that they do not intend to act hostilely toward one another, and have committed to continue direct negotiations to build trust, resolve all outstanding issues, and work toward a comprehensive agreement between the two countries.”