Israel Learns of Lebanon Ceasefire from Washington as IDF Vows to Keep Fighting Hezbollah Threats

A senior American official informed Reuters on Friday afternoon that Israel and Hezbollah had reached a ceasefire agreement set to take effect at 4:00 PM local time — but the announcement came from Washington, not Jerusalem. Neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor Defense Minister Israel Katz issued any formal statement confirming the arrangement, leaving Israelis to learn about the truce through international wire services rather than their own government.

According to Israeli security sources familiar with the matter, the ceasefire terms allow IDF forces to remain deployed in southern Lebanon with complete operational freedom to neutralize emerging threats. The principle is straightforward: if Hezbollah refrains from attacking, the IDF will hold fire. If Hezbollah launches strikes, Israel will respond with force. "There's nothing new here," a senior Israeli official stated. "The ceasefire allows the IDF to continue destroying infrastructure and acting against developing threats."

The diplomatic intervention came just hours after Netanyahu vowed that Israel would exact a heavy price from Hezbollah following the deaths of four IDF soldiers overnight, including Lt. Col. Dor Gedalia Ben Simhon, commander of the 52nd Armored Battalion. The battalion commander had assumed his post just two months earlier and was killed leading his troops in combat near the Lebanese village of Kfar Tebnit.

Hezbollah Violated, Then Ran Back to the Table

A senior Israeli official offered a blunt assessment of the sequence of events leading to the renewed ceasefire. "Israel's ambassador to Washington made this clear last night," the official noted. "Hezbollah attacked and got hit hard — then ran to request a renewal of the ceasefire." The official emphasized that the agreement does not restrict the IDF's freedom of action in the security zone north of the Israeli border.

The ceasefire announcement followed intensive backchannel diplomacy between Washington and Tehran. CNN reported that the United States transmitted a message to Iran confirming that Israel does not intend to escalate its strikes in Lebanon, despite Hezbollah's ceasefire violations. "Hezbollah violated the ceasefire, but Israel is willing to move past it — and that was communicated to the Iranians," a source involved in the mediation told the network. "Now Hezbollah needs to stop."

The diplomatic messaging aligned with operational realities on the ground. Israeli military sources confirmed that the IDF had no plans to expand strikes into Beirut or alter Home Front Command safety protocols. IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin acknowledged in response to a question from Ynet that the military is constrained by political leadership regarding strikes on the Lebanese capital.

Over 150 Strikes Since Midnight

The IDF executed more than 150 airstrikes across Lebanon in the 24 hours leading up to the ceasefire's implementation, military sources confirmed. The strikes targeted Hezbollah infrastructure in the Bekaa Valley deep inside Lebanese territory, as well as positions throughout southern Lebanon. The Al-Mayadeen network, which maintains close ties to Hezbollah, reported that Israeli airstrikes continued in the Nabatieh region even as the 4:00 PM ceasefire deadline arrived.

A senior Hezbollah commander told the Qatari-owned Al-Araby network that the organization had been briefed on diplomatic contacts between Tehran and Washington. "We were updated on the contacts between Tehran and Washington," the commander stated. "We are committed to the ceasefire if Israel adheres to it — and we reserve the right to respond."

IDF Spokesman: Mission Continues

In a statement addressing the deaths of the four soldiers, IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Defrin eulogized Lt. Col. Ben Simhon, who fell while leading his troops in defense of northern Israeli communities. Defrin confirmed that since midnight, the IDF had struck more than 100 Hezbollah targets in the Bekaa Valley, Nabatieh, and other regions, eliminating dozens of terrorists. Israeli forces continue to dismantle terror infrastructure and underground tunnel networks, including a major Hezbollah command and control center in the Beaufort region.

Defrin emphasized that Hezbollah violated the ceasefire in an attempt to prevent the destruction of infrastructure it had built over years. He clarified that the IDF retains complete operational freedom to remove threats and that the Northern Command's directives from the Chief of Staff remain unchanged. "The IDF will continue operating in the security zone in southern Lebanon and is prepared for an immediate return to intensive combat on any front if required," Defrin declared.