Lebanon and Israel have agreed to renew their fragile ceasefire and establish “pilot zones” placing the Lebanese Armed Forces in exclusive territorial control, with all non-state actors excluded, according to a joint statement released on Wednesday.

“These steps will enable progress towards a comprehensive peace and security agreement,” it said.

Read: ‘Acting in self-defence’: FM Araghchi says strikes will continue against sites ‘used’ in attacks on Iran

The joint statement also condemned Iran’s attacks on countries in the region and its activities that “undermine stability throughout the Middle East, whether through support for proxies and all other acts of aggression.”

According to Lebanese sources speaking to Anadolu, the second and final day of the negotiations at the US State Department headquarters lasted more than six hours.

The talks follow weeks of near-daily Israeli strikes on Lebanon that have killed nearly 3,500 people since March 2, despite a ceasefire that took effect on April 17 and was later extended until early July.

The conflict recently saw an escalation as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered troops to deepen the incursion and called for strikes on Beirut.

Netanyahu, however, was allegedly restrained after a “tense phone exchange” with US President Donald Trump, according to media reports.

Hostilities continue

Earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump said he wanted to separate talks on the conflict in Lebanon and those on the war with Iran.
The Israeli military said it intercepted a “hostile aircraft” and two projectiles that crossed into Israeli territory from Lebanon on Wednesday.

Hezbollah, for its part, said that “in response to the Israeli enemy army’s violation of the ceasefire”, its fighters targeted soldiers in northern Israel with a rocket barrage.