Israel and Hezbollah agree to halt fighting, officials say, as US-Iran
talks hang in the balance
[June 20, 2026]
By ERIN CUNNINGHAM, JON GAMBRELL and AAMER MADHANI
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group
agreed Friday to halt the heavy fighting in southern Lebanon that had
threatened to unravel an interim agreement between the United States and
Iran to end their war, officials said. Neither Israel nor Hezbollah
immediately confirmed the truce.
It came after a heavy exchange of fire killed 47 people in Lebanon and
four Israeli soldiers.
Hezbollah and Israel went to war shortly after the outbreak of the wider
conflict, with Hezbollah firing rockets and drones at civilian
communities in northern Israel and Israel seizing large swaths of
southern Lebanon.
The interim agreement to end the Iran war has already reopened the
Strait of Hormuz, which Iran effectively closed, cutting the global
economy off from significant supplies of oil and natural gas. The deal
would also relaunch talks on Iran’s nuclear program, the core issue over
which Israel and the U.S. began the war on Feb. 28.
But the accord already faces threats, chiefly from Lebanon, with the
fighting there leading to a delay in the start of talks planned for
Friday in Switzerland. The agreement calls for a halt to military
operations in Lebanon and for its sovereignty to be respected. Neither
Israel nor Hezbollah is a party to the deal.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to keep Israeli
forces in southern Lebanon until the threat is eliminated. Hezbollah has
refused to halt its attacks unless Israel commits to withdrawing from
Lebanon, which Iran says is also a condition of the deal.
Firing goes on along Lebanese border
Hours after officials told news organizations about the truce, Israeli
artillery fire could still be heard from northern Israel along the
Lebanese border, and a large explosion was seen erupting inside Lebanon,
according to an AP journalist in northern Israel.
Word of the attempt to halt the fighting came from two regional
officials and a U.S. official. The effort was mediated by Qatar, the
U.S. and Iran, the regional officials said. The three officials were not
authorized to comment publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on the
condition of anonymity.
Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah was supposed to end at 4 p.m.
local time, according to a second U.S. official who was not authorized
to speak publicly and also spoke on condition of anonymity.
A Hezbollah official said an agreement to stop fighting could be
announced soon, but he stopped short of confirming it was in place. The
official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized
to discuss the matter publicly.
Netanyahu's office did not immediately comment. However, Netanyahu
posted Friday on X that, on his orders, the Israeli army had “struck
powerfully” 150 Hezbollah targets, killing dozens of militants.
Military spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said the military has not
received different instructions from the government. He said Israeli
forces were operating in a “forward defense zone” and would continue
doing so.
The Israeli ambassador to the U.S., Yechiel Leiter, posted on X that
Israel “remains firmly committed to an immediate ceasefire” if Hezbollah
honors the agreement and ceases hostilities.
Iranian and U.S. officials cancel travel to Switzerland
Iranian officials did not travel as planned to Switzerland, insisting
that the fighting in Lebanon must stop before the talks can take place,
according to the two regional officials, an Iranian official and a
fourth person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of
anonymity to discuss sensitive conversations behind the scenes. U.S.
Vice President JD Vance also postponed his trip.
The future talks are supposed to bring about a permanent end to the
conflict.
On Friday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said
consultations through mediators were ongoing regarding the next phase of
negotiations to draft a final agreement.
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Buildings damaged by Israeli strikes are seen through shattered
glass from the Jabal Amel Hospital in the southern port city of Tyre,
Lebanon, Thursday, June 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Because the initial deal was signed digitally earlier this week, the
talks in Switzerland were not urgent, and plans were underway to
hold a meeting in the coming days, he said.
Fighting forces families to flee from villages
The Israeli military said four soldiers, including a lieutenant
colonel, were killed in an attack on a tank in a village near the
southern Lebanese city of Nabatiyeh. An explosive drone attack
wounded another five, military officials added.
Israel then launched multiple strikes against “Hezbollah
infrastructure sites” in Nabatiyeh and other areas, according to a
military statement, which accused the militant group of “blatant
ceasefire violations.”
Later, the military said it also struck targets in the Bekaa Valley
in eastern Lebanon, with Lebanese media saying the village of Douris
was hit.
“Israel will not tolerate attacks on our soldiers or on our
territory, and it will exact a very heavy price from Hezbollah for
these attacks,” Netanyahu said in a statement.
Hezbollah acknowledged targeting Israeli tanks and said its attacks
were in response to what it called Israel’s own violation of the
ceasefire. It said the attacks came after Israeli forces attempted
to reach the northern side of Ali al-Taher hilltop, a strategic
point that overlooks Nabatiyeh and that Israeli troops have been
trying to capture.
In southern Lebanon, many were forced to flee their villages.
“The situation is lawless, we couldn't stay,” said Mustafa Zain, who
was with his six daughters in a pickup truck.
Israel’s actions have created a rift between Israel and the U.S.,
with Trump becoming increasingly critical of his close ally
Netanyahu, who is also facing increasing criticism at home.
Much still needs to be resolved
The discussions in Switzerland were expected to focus on Iran’s
nuclear program. Tehran maintains it is peaceful, though it has
highly enriched uranium that could be used to build multiple atomic
bombs, should it choose to do so, according to the International
Atomic Energy Agency.
Those talks are expected to be difficult. The 2015 nuclear deal,
which Trump scrapped during his first term, took more than 18 months
to negotiate.
The interim deal gives negotiators 60 days to come up with a nuclear
agreement, but that can be extended. It outlines lucrative
incentives if Iran does reach a new agreement, including the
eventual lifting of all international sanctions and a $300 billion
fund for postwar reconstruction.
Already Iran has won some concessions. Following the signing of the
interim deal, the U.S. lifted its blockade of Iran’s ports and is
allowing it to sell its oil freely. The deal also calls for Iran’s
assets to be unfrozen — though it’s not clear how quickly.
___
Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Madhani
reported from Zurich. Associated Press journalists David Rising in
Bangkok, Abby Sewell and Bassem Mroue in Beirut, Samy Magdy in
Cairo, Malak Harb in Tyre, Lebanon, Munir Ahmed in Islamabad and
Areej Hazboun in Jerusalem contributed to this story.
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