Israel and Hezbollah, a pro-Iran armed faction, were reported to have agreed to a cease-fire.
According to foreign media including the Times of Israel on the 19th, a senior U.S. official said, "Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a cease-fire in Lebanon, and the cease-fire took effect at 4 p.m. local time (10 p.m. on the 19th in Korea)." The official said the United States and Qatar played a mediating role by holding talks respectively with Israel and Iran.
An Israeli source also confirmed to local outlets that the cease-fire had taken effect. However, the source said the Israel Defense Forces would continue to be stationed in the buffer zone in southern Lebanon and would respond immediately if Hezbollah carried out attacks.
Clashes between the two sides continued right up to the cease-fire agreement. The Israel Defense Forces said it had carried out airstrikes on more than 80 Hezbollah-related facilities in Lebanon from the previous night into the morning. Israel claimed this was a response to Hezbollah violating the cease-fire agreement in connection with the deaths of four of its soldiers.
As military tensions between the two sides escalated, a planned face-to-face negotiation between the United States and Iran in Switzerland that day was also called off.
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "I ordered a strong strike against Hezbollah for violating the cease-fire," adding, "We will never tolerate attacks on our soldiers or territory."