Israel and Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah have reached a ceasefire agreement, a US official announced on Friday after an escalation in fighting in Lebanon threatened the chances of an interim agreement on ending the war in Iran.
Reuters quoted the US official to report that the ceasefire had already come into effect at 4pm Lebanon time or 6:30 pm IST.
The agreement came after US-Iran talks in Switzerland planned for Friday were cancelled as fighting intensified in Lebanon, creating new uncertainty about the timing of negotiations vital to ensure the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to global shipping.
However, there is no clarity about whether Israeli forces will withdraw from territories it has occupied in Lebanon since March when it launched a military operation after Hezbollah fired rockets in northern Israel in support of Iran against US-Israeli airstrikes in Iran.
On June 18, Israel’s military published an expanded map of areas occupied by it in southern Lebanon.
An interim pact signed on June 15 to end the US-Israeli war with Iran calls for an end to fighting on all fronts, including in Lebanon, and for parties to ensure “the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon.”
Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) strikes killed more than a dozen Lebanese on Thursday and overnight into Friday, as per local media reports.
#NDTVDatafy | Israel occupies more territory in Lebanon pic.twitter.com/85YA6Q9LHP
— NDTV (@ndtv) June 19, 2026
According to a map published by the IDF, Israel now occupies at least 700 sq km of area in southern Lebanon. As per Washington-based Institute of Study of War, Israel has conducted at least 15 strikes in Lebanon since the US and Iran electronically signed the interim peace deal on June 15. The strikes conducted overnight have not been counted.
As per the IDF map, Israeli forces now occupy a 700 square km area of southern Lebanon.
Israel has rejected calls to withdraw troops from southern Lebanon, where it launched a ground operation in March following Hezbollah rocket fire. Israeli strikes and widespread destruction of villages have killed thousands and triggered a major displacement crisis.
Hezbollah, meanwhile, has continued attacks on Israeli positions in the south this week, including the use of explosive drones that have killed and injured troops.
The military, which in April released a map outlining its so-called buffer zone in southern Lebanon, has now issued an updated version showing its forces operating several kilometres deeper into the country – including areas near the Hezbollah stronghold of Nabatieh, north of the Litani River.
While Israeli troops have been active in some of these areas for weeks, Thursday’s map marks the first time the military has publicly depicted this expanded zone of control.
