Israeli, Hezbollah agree to ceasefire starting on Friday -U.S. official

AL-MONITOR
Jun 19, 2026
Smoke billows from southern Lebanon following an Israeli strike, as seen from Kfartibnit, Lebanon, June 19, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
Smoke billows from southern Lebanon following an Israeli strike, as seen from Kfartibnit, Lebanon, June 19, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer — Stringer

WASHINGTON, June 19 (Reuters) - Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire set to begin at 4 p.m. local time on Friday, a senior U.S. official told Reuters.

“Hezbollah and Israel have agreed to a ceasefire,” the official said on background, adding that negotiators for the U.S. and Qataris worked out the deal with help from Iran. “We understand that after the exchange of fire earlier today, Israel and Hezbollah are now in a ceasefire.”

(Reporting by Steve Holland; editing by Susan Heavey)