(Jalaa MAREY / AFP via Getty Images)
Smoke rises following Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon as seen from a position across the border in the Upper Galilee in northern Israel on May 31, 2026.
The ostensible ceasefire in Lebanon is unlikely to end fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, though a scenario in which the United States more assertively pressures Israel to achieve its own deal with Iran remains possible. On June 5, longtime Lebanese Parliament speaker and Hezbollah ally Nabih Berri rejected the U.S.-brokered ceasefire framework between Israel and Lebanon announced on June 3, saying he would only accept a full ceasefire that includes an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory before Hezbollah retreats north of the Litani River. Berri's position echoed Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem, who on June 4 outright rejected the arrangement and also called for a full-fledged ceasefire.
