Israel and Lebanon Agree to Ceasefire and Pilot Zones to Assert Lebanese Army Control

Israel and Lebanon have agreed to renew a fragile ceasefire after U.S.-mediated talks, even as the U.S. House voted to curb President Donald Trump’s ability to take military action against Iran. The developments come as Washington tries to manage a wider regional crisis that has drawn in Israel, Lebanon, Hezbollah and Iran, and they underscore how the conflict is now shaping both Middle East diplomacy and American domestic politics.

According to the State Department, the United States convened the fourth high-level trilateral meeting between Israeli and Lebanese representatives on June 2 and 3, and the talks produced agreement to implement a ceasefire and begin creating “pilot zones” where the Lebanese armed forces would take exclusive control. The arrangement is meant to exclude non-state actors such as Hezbollah from those areas, and the deal is contingent on a complete halt to Hezbollah fire and the removal of Hezbollah operatives from southern Lebanon, according to the U.S. statement reported in the sources.

The renewed ceasefire is the latest attempt to stabilize the Israel-Lebanon front after months of cross-border violence tied to the broader regional war. As reported by the Independent, representatives from Israel and Lebanon are expected to reconvene in the week of June 22, suggesting that the current deal is being treated as an interim step rather than a final settlement. The BBC-style coverage in the provided material also indicates that the agreement is linked to a U.S.-led push to expand the ceasefire and build toward longer-term security arrangements.

The diplomatic breakthrough comes amid persistent concerns that fighting between Israel and Hezbollah could escalate further if talks fail. The arrangement is described as fragile and conditional, with both sides expected to maintain the ceasefire while negotiations continue. For Lebanon, the stakes are especially high because the agreement depends on its army asserting greater control in the south; for Israel, the priority is preventing renewed attacks from Hezbollah or other armed groups.

At the same time, the U.S. Congress moved to rein in Trump’s war powers over Iran. The Independent reported that four Republicans joined Democrats in backing a War Powers Act resolution aimed at limiting the president’s ability to launch military action against Iran without congressional approval. That vote reflects growing unease in Washington over the prospect of the United States being drawn directly into a broader war with Iran, particularly after months of regional escalation.

Taken together, the two developments show how closely the Israel-Lebanon front and U.S.-Iran tensions are now linked. The ceasefire effort is intended to reduce pressure on the battlefield, while the House vote signals that many lawmakers want to reduce the risk of a wider American military commitment. What happens next will depend on whether the ceasefire holds, whether Lebanon can enforce the new security arrangements, and whether Congress continues to push back against unilateral military action.