France, June 4 -- Israeli and Lebanese envoys held a fourth round of talks in Washington on Wednesday, agreeing to implement a ceasefire hinged on Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah halting its attacks.

But Hezbollah, which rejects the direct Israel-Lebanon talks, has not commented on the announcement, while Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz said military operations would continue in south Lebanon.

Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the wider Middle East war to avenge the killing in US-Israeli strikes of Iran's supreme leader on February 28, and has vowed to keep fighting despite a push by the Lebanese government to disarm it.

Despite the agreement in Washington, Katz said Israeli forces retained the "freedom of action, with American ba...