Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a truce, Reuters, AP and other international news agencies reported Wednesday local time.
The Department of State announced the agreement in a joint statement released immediately after US-brokered talks held in Washington, D.C.
The truce is contingent on Hezbollah, the Iran-backed armed group in Lebanon, fully halting attacks and withdrawing all its fighters from areas south of the Litani River in southern Lebanon.
The statement said the agreement "will enable progress toward a comprehensive peace and security arrangement," and that all parties "reaffirmed that the future relationship between Israel and Lebanon must be determined by the two sovereign governments."
The statement added that "both sides reject any attempt by any state or non-state actor to hold Lebanon's future hostage."
mokiya@heraldcorp.com
