Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yehiel Leiter said Friday night that Israel has halted all offensive operations in Lebanon and is fully committed to the ceasefire. Leiter stated that if Hezbollah respects the agreement and ceases hostilities, it will encounter quiet from Israel, while stressing that the IDF will continue operations in southern Lebanon until the mission against Hezbollah infrastructure is complete.
Israeli Ambassador to the US Yehiel Leiter on Friday night reiterated that Israel has halted all offensive operations in Lebanon and is fully committed to the ceasefire, while stating that the IDF will continue operations against Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon until the mission is complete. The clarification, published after 23:00 Jerusalem, sharpens the distinction between a cessation of offensive fire and continued presence in the security zone — a posture Leiter first described earlier in the day at 18:30 as a halt of fire effective at that time, and then at 16:15 as Israel's stance while maintaining the security zone.
Leiter's statement is the latest in a rapid thread of updates Friday. The ceasefire was first reported at 16:10 via a senior US official (Reuters) and an Israeli source confirming a 16:00 start. By 18:57, a Gulf diplomat confirmed the deal after Qatar-US-Iran mediation, with Jerusalem retaining "full freedom of action" in southern Lebanon. Across the thread, corroboration moved from a single US official to multiple Israeli sources and a diplomatic third party — though no IDF spokesperson has formally confirmed the halt of offensive operations on the record.
The developments come against a backdrop of earlier reports — including a June 15 Hezbollah statement of conditional restraint and Leiter's own response to Iranian threats on June 16 — in which the ambassador warned that rocket fire breaks ceasefire terms. Leiter has framed the day's developments consistently: the ceasefire's preservation depends on Hezbollah halting its attacks, and the IDF remains in southern Lebanon clearing infrastructure.
What remains open: the IDF has not independently confirmed that offensive operations have ceased, and the military's own published posture earlier Friday stated strikes would continue as needed. No specific Hezbollah violation was cited in Leiter's latest statement.
10 developments
- DevelopingIsraeli ambassador to US responds to Iranian threats, ceasefire allegations
- DevelopingUS ambassador to Lebanon says IDF strikes on Beirut will continue if Hezbollah attacks persist
- DevelopingIsraeli Ambassador: Hezbollah fire violates agreements, demands Beirut strike
- DevelopingIsrael returns to Lebanon ceasefire — no initiated strikes unless attacked, Israeli official says
Source and signal
- Internal intake